A Matter of Timing
by fringeperson
Summary: Haru buys an Angel Egg as a kid, and as the Angel comes alive, a slightly different noble becomes part of her life. Two of them, actually. Eventual het pairings with yuri hints if you squint. Don't own Cat Returns or Angelic Layer.
1. Chapter 1

Fourteen-year-old Haru Yoshioka paused on her way home to read a poster advertising a new sort of toy. Battle dolls for a game called 'Angelic Layer'. Haru wasn't generally one to go in for new fads, but there was just _something_ about the idea that made her stop and wonder. Haru crouched down to read the fine print at the bottom of the poster, the fine print that most people didn't bother with, because the 'important' details were always big and bold and caught your attention.

Haru smiled. "All royalties and profits from the sales of battle dolls and all Angelic Layer affiliated merchandise will go towards funding research into robotic, prosthetic limbs," she read softly to herself, and nodded.

In that case, she was more than willing to do a little impulse-spending. With a smile on her face, Haru headed into the shop. After all, she'd decided to take the long way home today to see if there was anything she'd want to buy with the pocket money she'd been saving, and she honestly couldn't think of anything better to spend her money on.

Her mother might say she should have been looking at dresses rather than dolls, but Haru was still a little bit of a tomboy, even if she was starting to grow out of it. She wasn't likely to spend money on dresses any time soon. Skirts maybe – she had to wear a skirt as part of her uniform, and they were comfortable. But not dresses.

"Can I help you, young miss?" asked one of the floor staff with a friendly smile.

"Ah, I'm interested in playing Angelic Layer," Haru answered. "But I'm not sure what I'll need for that, or where it is."

The woman smiled. "I know right where everything you'll need for that is," she promised, and offered to guide Haru through the shop to the correct section among all the shelves, as well as help her carry everything she'd need to buy back to the counter.

"Arigato," Haru said softly.

"Here we go," the shop attendant said once they'd reached the right section.

Haru picked out an Angel Egg from among all the hundreds of others that were on the shelves, and let the shop assistant pick a programming platform for her. After that, Haru looked at what else she would need for making her angel look the way she wanted it to. She only had a vague idea at the moment, but as she looked at the different things available, the idea slowly became clearer and clearer.

~oOo~

"Haru? What took you so long coming home today?" Naoko asked her daughter when she finally came through the front door – then she stuck her head through the door of the living room and out into the hallway and was able to actually see her daughter.

Haru smiled back at her mother as she carefully toed her shoes off, her arms laden down with bags.

"You've been shopping I see," Naoko said fondly. "That's unusual for you Haru."

"Tadaima," Haru answered with a blush.

"Okaeri nasai," Naoko replied with a smile and a tender look at her daughter. "Now come in and show me what you bought."

Haru laughed and obliged. "I wanted to spend my pocket money," she explained to her mother shyly, "so I took the long way home from school. I saw a poster for this new thing where the profits go towards medical research."

Naoko chuckled sadly. "That's my baby girl," she said, pride in her voice as she wrapped Haru up in a hug. Just two years ago they'd lost Haru's father to a Suzumebachi bite. He was actually violently allergic to their poison, and they were generally regarded as fairly deadly to people who _weren't_ allergic. They hadn't gotten him to a hospital in time for the anti-venom to do any good, and that was that.

"According to the instructions, I've got to open the egg in the bath," Haru said when she was finally released from her mother's embrace – not that she'd minded being hugged, but she didn't like it when her mother was sad.

"Well then you go run yourself a bath, and I'll look through the rest, okay?" Naoko suggested.

Haru nodded and rifled through the bags until she found the egg that had the angel doll inside.

"That's a very pretty thing," Naoko said softly. "I think we should keep it, rather than throw it away like normal packaging."

Haru nodded in agreement. The plastic egg with the wings on the sides _was_ pretty, and she liked the idea of doing something with it rather than just throwing it away.

"Off with you, and don't use all of the bubble mixture just because I'm not supervising you," Naoko instructed fondly as she shooed her daughter off with one hand and reached for another of the shopping bags with her other.

Haru giggled and dashed off.

"'Angelic Layer', huh?" Naoko mused aloud as she picked up one of the boxes. She set it down again so that she could clear the table, and then started laying out her daughter's purchases. There was a good amount of fabric in there, a number of tiny buttons, there was even a tiny pair of white gloves and some small brown shoes. There was also a large box that had what looked like a computer in it.

Naoko opened the box, found the instruction book, and set it all up for Haru. She wanted to watch at the very least. Naoko chuckled to herself. Maybe she'd even get a doll for herself. Maybe.

Haru returned, clean and dressed in her pyjamas, with the blue doll in one hand and the now empty egg tucked into the elbow of her other arm.

"Do you have an idea of what you want your doll to look like?" Naoko asked her daughter.

Haru nodded, a beaming smile on her face. "I'm going to need help though," she said hopefully. "I want him to have a head like a cat, and a tail too!"

"A cat?" Naoko repeated.

Haru nodded.

"Like the kitten that told you life was tough?" Naoko asked softly.

Haru's smile slipped a little, but she nodded again. Her mother was quite fond of that story, especially since her father had left them. "But I want him to be a ginger, with bright green eyes," she said firmly. "The kitten was white with blue eyes."

Naoko hummed in thought and picked up the yellow-orange, slightly fluffy fabric that was among her daughter's purchases. "Alright, I'll make the ears and tail for him. From the instruction book, you decide what his face looks like when you have him in this," Naoko said and lightly tapped the golden column of light where the angel would go while Haru did the programming.

"I can make the ears and tail," Haru insisted. "But I want him to have a suit, and I'm not good enough at sewing yet to make a proper suit."

Naoko chuckled. "So he's going to be a gentleman, is he?" she asked.

Haru nodded firmly. "Just like Papa was."

"Alright," Naoko allowed. "Before we make clothes for him though, he's got to be programmed. It's a very clever little thing, you even decide how tall your angel will be with this," she said, and tapped the computer.

Haru nodded her understanding and quickly set to making the ears and tail of her angel, and then attached them before slipping the doll into place.

Naoko rested her chin on her daughter's shoulder so that she had a good view of the process.

"I don't want him to be small," Haru decided as she considered the options on the screen. "But being too big is bad as well. I want him to be tall, but not heavy, and I want him to be fast as well as strong. There's no point in being strong if you're too slow to hit your opponent."

"What about this?" Naoko asked, and reached around her daughter to point to a statistic that Haru hadn't noticed. "If he's a cat, then he should be flexible as well, right?"

Haru nodded, an upped the flexibility rating. "He should be graceful too, but that's something that will come with practice."

Naoko smiled at her daughter as she continued to make decisions about her new doll until finally there was only one thing left to do.

"A name," Haru said softly, and looked from the screen over to her doll. He was a lovely ginger colour all over, and his eyes shone bright green over the muzzle she'd been able to convince the programme to give him. She'd attach whiskers herself soon enough. "I think he should be some sort of lord."

"A count?" Naoko suggested with a sly smirk.

Haru shook her head. "That's vampires," she said, discarding the suggestion, though there was a smile on her face as well.

"A duke?" Naoko offered.

Haru looked at her doll thoughtfully for a while, then shook her head. "He could be," she agreed, "but it doesn't feel like _him_."

Naoko chuckled at that. "Earl? Lord? Prince? Baron?"

"Yes!" Haru declared. "That last one! Baron! That's his name," she decided, and typed it in. "He's a nobleman, but not so high up that he doesn't have time for the troubles of his people."

With that done, the Baron opened his incredibly green eyes, smiled slightly, and then fell forward out of the creation platform, completely complete.

Haru caught him, and hugged him tight.

Naoko kissed Haru's hair, and silently prayed to the kami that her daughter might some day meet a _real_ guy who was as good as Haru had decided her new doll was. Not too soon of course, Haru was still her baby, but some day.

"Alright you, bed time. You leave the Baron out here with me, and I'll make him a suit fit for his station from the other fabric," Naoko offered.

"Arigato, Mama," Haru said with a grateful smile. "He -" she cut herself off to yawn. "He should have a top hat," she said. "And a tail-coat."

Naoko chuckled, promised to make the requested items, and shooed her daughter off to bed.

~oOo~

When Haru came down for breakfast the next morning, the Baron was there, curled up on a cushion in the bottom half of his egg, dressed in a set of silky blue pyjamas, with his very fine suit hanging over a clothes horse made from glued-together toothpicks. The tiny pair of brown shoes were at the base and a top hat hung from the top, with trousers, a shirt, a vest, the tail-coat, a bow-tie, and the gloves Haru had bought all carefully laid out and kept safe from having breakfast spilled on them by the top part of the egg, which was set over the whole lot next to the Baron.

"Good morning Haru," Naoko greeted with a slightly sleepy yawn.

"Good morning Mama," Haru answered, and hugged her mother tightly. "And thank you."

"You're welcome. I had some extra fabric left over from one of my quilting projects, so I thought I might as well make some other things for the Baron as well."

"Thank you Mama," Haru said again. "What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," Naoko answered with a smile.

"Oh! Goody goody goody! Oh I can hardly wait!" Haru exclaimed happily.

Naoko laughed. "All things in their proper time, love. Remember, timing is everything," she said.

"Everything?" Haru asked, confused as she sat down at the table.

"That's right," Naoko agreed. "Take cooking for example. If you take it off the heat too soon, then it isn't cooked enough. Too late and it burns. Another example of where timing is important is when you're talking to people. If you speak too soon, you can look foolish. If you wait too long, then you might have missed your opportunity to say anything at all."

"And in music everybody has to be in time together," Haru said with a solemn nod, like she was getting the idea.

Naoko nodded. "That's right," she said with a proud smile of her own. "And if you're dancing, then you have to be in time as well. You should move in time with the music, and in time with your dance partner, so you don't step on his toes. Timing will be important when you start fighting with the Baron too," Naoko added as she brought the finished pancakes over to the table.

"Huh?" Haru asked, confused.

"Well, if you don't time your strike right, then you'll miss," Naoko explained simply. "And if you miss, then your opponent might have an opening to strike _you_."

"Oh," Haru said softly, and looked over at where Baron was still curled up in his pyjamas on the corner of the table. "We'll practice timing every day," she promised him.

Naoko smiled at her daughter. "I suppose that means you'll be home a bit later from now on?"

Haru nodded. "I'll rent a layer to practice every day!" she insisted.

Naoko chuckled. "You don't need to do that to practice your timing. You can do it by just putting on some music and manipulating the Baron in time with it. It won't be quite the same, but it will save you the money that renting a layer _every_ day would cost," she suggested.

Haru beamed. "Thank you Mama!"

"Now eat your breakfast. You're dressed, but the Baron still has to get dressed before he can go to school with you, and you'll also need to brush your teeth before you go," Naoko instructed.

"Hai!"

~oOo~

Once her daughter had left for school, Naoko went out to do a little shopping. They were out of eggs and running low on flour, but that wasn't all that she bought. Naoko wandered over to the Angelic Layer section and looked through the fabric that was available for making clothes for the dolls. When she'd been sewing for the Baron the previous night, she'd noticed that the fabric Haru had bought for his clothes was subtly different to the other fabrics she'd handled when she was sewing.

"A gentleman should have more than just one suit," Naoko said softly to herself, and pulled down sleeve after sleeve of wrapped fabric. She picked out some different shoes as well. It all wasn't _too_ expensive. Angelic Layer was marketed so that the children who would want to play it would be able to afford all the extras fairly easily. It was the egg itself and the programming platform that were the expensive parts. Naoko winced to herself when she saw the prices there, but Haru had already paid for them, so there was no helping that.

Naoko also bought a few DVDs while she was out and about. A couple of ballets, a movie of the stage production _Riverdance_ , a DVD on how to ballroom dance, and a couple that taught different styles of dancing and fighting for fitness. She also bought a copy of the Broadway production of _Cats_ , which would be good for Haru to get ideas of how her new doll might move in a feline manner when she set him on the layer.

Besides, it was a good musical.

And, just maybe, she'd also get Haru interested in dancing _herself_ , and she'd be able to get her into a dress. Naoko chuckled at the thought, knowing it was wishful thinking. But, Haru was a teenager, and she knew when she'd been that age that she'd tried reinventing herself every year – and wishes did come true, now and then.


	2. Chapter 2

Haru watched and re-watched those DVDs, and she _did_ practice with Baron every day. Sometimes on the layer at Piffle Princess, sometimes at home the way her mother suggested. As well as his fine, cream-coloured suit, Baron had a black outfit with a white, spiked collar and cuffs, and boots that Naoko had attached matching decoration to, and Haru had him practice his dancing and acrobatics in that outfit. If Baron was going to be on the layer, then he was dressed in black. It made him look even more slim and willowy than his cream suit. There was a navy-blue, red-lined cape that Naoko had made for him as part of the outfit as well. Haru generally had the Baron put it on and take it off himself while he was on the layer, depending on what she wanted him to practice.

She'd been practising with Baron for a year, but hadn't yet gone near the battle layers where official matches were played. Actually, in a year of practice, Haru still hadn't participated in so much as one battle, not even an unofficial battle.

"Excuse me," a soft, cool voice said politely from behind Haru's chair.

The girl turned slightly, keeping Baron, who was still dancing, just in the corner of her eye. "Ah... Konnichiwa?" Haru replied as she took in the slightly older boy who had approached her where she and Baron were practising his ballet. The CD player had Swan Lake playing softly just off side.

"My name's Ohjiro Mihara," the boy introduced himself.

"Pleased to meet you Mihara-kun, I'm Haru Yoshioka," she answered. "And this is Baron," she added, introducing her angel, who was still dancing.

"I... hate to ask a complete stranger, but... would... I be able to join you at your table? It's just, every table is already taken, and you seem to be having such fun. I don't think I've ever seen anybody practice the way you do."

"This is how I practice all the time," Haru said with a smile. "Though it isn't always Swan Lake," she admitted, and gestured to the other chair. "By all means," she invited. "Dancing alone isn't bad, but it's more fun in company. Isn't that right, Baron?" she asked the doll on the layer with a smile.

Silently, the cat-like angel looked up at them and nodded, though he didn't stop dancing until the song ended, at which point he bowed to the boy.

Ohjiro smiled and bowed back to the doll. "This is Wizard," he introduced, bringing his angel out of his pocket. "And it really is a pleasure to meet you both. Thank you, by the way."

Haru nodded, and gestured for him to take the other chair. "Do you know how the ballet goes?" Haru asked.

Ohjiro shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't," he admitted.

Haru shrugged. "Alright. In that case, Baron will demonstrate a few steps, and then Wizard can copy them, like those echo-songs from kindergarten and elementary school," she suggested.

Ohjiro nodded in acceptance, a smile on his face. "I'll do my best to follow along," he promised.

Haru skipped back a few tracks on the album, and pressed play.

"So, why 'Wizard'?" Haru asked when they'd been dancing for a few minutes.

Ohjiro smiled. "Because I always wanted to be a magician when I was a little kid," he started.

"Careful," Haru advised, a smile on her face. "You're not nearly old enough to sound like those people who say 'when I was young'."

Ohjiro chuckled. "It's still true. Now I'm more interested in working with the sort of technology used in Angelic Layer, and I'm studying towards that goal," he said. "But I really wanted to be a wizard. I practised all the time. Magic spells and everything."

Haru giggled. "Ever perform them now?" she asked.

"Only on the layer," Ohjiro answered with a suave little smirk, then blinked at the sequence of moves Baron performed next. "I'm not sure that Wizard can even bend that way," he said. "Heck, I'm surprised that _any_ angel bends that way."

Haru giggled some more. "It's just a scorpion spin followed by a back-flip dropping into a full split," she said innocently, and made no comment on Baron's flexibility. "You're not going to let yourself be out-done, are you?"

Ohjiro shook his head. "You bet I am," he informed her. "I'd be worried that I'd need to give Wizard repairs if I tried to make him move like that."

Haru shrugged, though there was a cheeky smile on her face, and once the music was at a certain place she let Baron move on to the next set of movements.

"Why 'Baron'?" Ohjiro asked politely. "You asked why I called my angel Wizard. So..."

Haru smiled fondly at her angel as he began to perform a solo version of the _pas de trois_. "Baron's a gentleman, a noble, but not so high up that he doesn't have time for the troubles of his people," she explained. "Besides, 'Baron' just fit him like nothing else did."

"I'm not going to be able to get Wizard to do _that_ either," Ohjiro admitted as he watched Baron dance across the layer. "Fighting moves I can do, but I think ballet might be a bit much."

Haru giggled and, knowing that the current track was almost at the end, extended her hand into the layer to Baron.

He took gentle hold of her first finger and used it to support his balance for a finishing move before he bowed to her, then to Wizard and Ohjiro.

"Perhaps you need to find a different sort of dance," Haru suggested, and took out the Swan Lake CD from the player. "Well, my time on the table is up anyway. Baron?" she said and smiled at her angel as he picked up his cloak, secured it over his shoulders, and then leapt out of the layer and into her hand.

"That's quite a trick," Ohjiro noted, impressed.

"He's quite a guy," Haru counted with a proud, joyful smile.

Ohjiro chuckled. "You say that like you're not the one who controls him," he said.

Haru shrugged. "Baron and I have been together for a year already. He's just... got a way of doing things, even if I _am_ the Deus," she explained, and set Baron on her shoulder, not even noticing the way she arranged him so that he was holding onto her. It was almost like he had slipped one arm into her hair and the other around the front of her neck by himself.

Haru bowed to Ohjiro slightly. "It was nice to meet you and Wizard, Mihara-kun," she said. "Have a good day, and maybe we'll meet again some time."

Ohjiro stood from the chair to bow back to her. "I hope so, Yoshioka-san," he answered.

Haru nodded, double-checked that she had everything she'd come with, and headed out of the shop and home again.

~oOo~

A week after meeting Ohjiro, Haru decided that it was time she started testing herself and Baron on the battle layer.

"Nothing quite like jumping in feet-first, right Baron?" Haru asked him softly once she had accepted a number for an official match from the woman behind the counter.

"Miss Haru Yoshioka, who holds card number eleven, and Mister Machida Mishizu, who holds card number twelve," a cheerful voice called over the PA system of the shop three minutes later. "Please come to the main stage now. Your battle is scheduled to begin!"

Haru smiled and stepped out of the crowd that had been watching the previous match. It had been quite entertaining, watching that boy have his speed-emphasised angel running all over the place, but still failing to hit his opponent. It wasn't a win any _real_ Deus would be proud of, but it was still a win.

Haru slipped into the chair and pulled the headset on. Across the layer from her, her opponent sat down. Machida, according to the announcement. Haru recognised him from her class at school, though they hadn't ever talked before. He actually didn't looked too thrilled to be there, and with the way a slightly older girl was smirking at him from behind the chair, Haru guessed her opponent had probably been forced into the seat, rather than coming voluntarily.

"And now," the store announcer declared once both Haru and Machida looked ready. "The Angels will enter!" she instructed, and a buzzer sounded.

"The time is now, Baron!" Haru declared, and with a flick of her hand (he'd been standing straight on the back of it), gently launched him onto the layer.

As Baron crossed over into the space above the layer, he took on a golden glow. He always did. It dispersed when he landed lightly on his feet in the centre of the layer.

Machida grimaced from across the table. "See what you want, and take it, Phoebus!" he called out, and threw the angel onto the layer.

It was clearly a heavy-weight, and from what Haru could see, she guessed her opponent had an emphasis on heavy hitting. Punches mostly, maybe a few grapples, but Haru didn't think she'd have to worry about kicks much.

She was quickly proven right when, as soon as the woman called "Angelic fight!" the other angel took a standard boxing pose, fists up.

The Baron removed his cape and started with a straight charge. Nothing fancy, and pulled back a fist like he'd just punch the other angel. But this wasn't Queensbury Rules. The pulled-back fist was opened at the last second and planted into the layer, rather than the opposing angel, and used as leverage for the Baron to kick straight up under the guard of his foe.

Phoebus didn't leave the layer. Baron had kicked him to another part of the layer, rather than out of it, but it seemed that the boxing angel had the metaphorical glass jaw. He didn't get up again.

"Oh!" Machida groaned from across the table.

"Tough luck baby brother," teased the girl who'd been standing behind him, smirking. "Looks like you'll be wearing a pink shirt to Aunty's wedding next week."

"Baron wins!" declared the woman in charge of the official battle layer.

Baron bowed to the crowd, replaced his cape, and walked back to the edge of the layer nearest Haru. Before he reached the very edge, he leapt, twisted in the air, and finally landed in Haru's hand.

Haru kissed his cheek happily, and went back to the main desk. With a victory in an official battle, Haru now qualified for an Angel Card, which would let her compete in the National Games. That is, provided she got past all the appropriate qualifiers.

~oOo~

Haru didn't get her Angel Card in time for her to sign up for the qualifiers in her area, but that was alright. The previous year, she'd been completely focused on Baron. Well, as far as Angelic Layer went anyway. This year, Haru had decided, was going to be her year to get ready for actually entering the nation-wide competition the _following_ year.

She continued to practice every day with Baron, of course she did, but now she also took to recording the broadcasts of the Nationals when they were on TV. The different angels and the people who brought them to the layer were a topic of discussion between Haru and her mother every evening over dinner. They talked of other things, but only Angelic Layer was talked about _every_ night.

"Who do you think you might ask to be your Second Haru?" Naoko asked her daughter.

Haru chuckled. "You're assuming I'll get as far as the National Games," she pointed out.

Naoko nodded. "Of course I am," she said with a proud smile. "I believe in my daughter, and the Baron."

"Well, I suppose I'd ask you Mama," Haru answered with a smile. "You know me and the Baron better than anybody."

Naoko smiled. "That's true," she allowed. "But I've got to work while you'll be competing," she pointed out. "So as much as I'd love to, I can't do that for you sweetheart."

Haru sighed, but nodded in acceptance. She had kind of known that. She'd hoped though.

"You'll be sixteen when you compete next year," Naoko said softly. "My baby is growing up," she said with a slightly melancholy smile. "Huh, maybe you'll have a boyfriend by then, and he can be your Second?" she suggested, a hint of wistfulness in her tone.

Haru shook her head. "Any boyfriend would have to measure up to Baron, and I don't think I'm going to find someone like that too easily," she answered.

Naoko smiled at her daughter. "No," she agreed. "There aren't too many like Baron around to be found. They're there though. You just have to keep a sharp eye out."

"Like I'm going to have to keep a sharp eye out for a good Second," Haru quipped, then sighed, knowing that either task would be difficult, but at least they weren't immediately urgent. "Just in case I get as far as the Nationals."

~oOo~

Haru had been politely challenging other Piffle Princess patrons since her Angel Card arrived in the mail. Haru suffered her first loss about a month in, and cried for a while after. Even if the person she'd lost to was someone who she had _seen_ make it to the quarter-finals of the Nationals the first year Angelic Layer was out, that didn't make it any easier to bear.

When Haru had cried out her frustration and repaired Baron, she'd gone back to the layer rental desk and booked a layer. She'd let the Baron dance until she wasn't scared of letting him fight again. Then they'd gone back to the battle layer and wiped the floor with the light-weight angel that had been their opponent. The angel had even had ice skates to make her spinning attacks just that bit more dangerous.

Well, they would have been more dangerous, but Haru was used to setting Baron to dancing, and figure skating wasn't all that much of a stretch. It was just a matter of knowing the right steps to use, and getting the timing right.

"It was a good match," Haru said to her opponent when the fight was won. "Thank you."

The other girl smiled sadly back at Haru. "You were really clever," she praised. "I didn't think anybody could get around Katalina's spinning the way you did. You made it look like they were dancing together, rather than fighting."

Haru blushed a little, and smiled at Baron, who was once again perched on her shoulder and holding on to her hair to help maintain his place.

It was time to sign up for her local qualifiers.


	3. Chapter 3

The Kobe Qualifiers were quite impressive, and the angels Haru and Baron faced together were as different as the people that brought them to the layer. Haru and Baron had discovered in the time they'd been battling at the local Piffle Princess that, for winning, they preferred sending their opponents out of the layer, rather than causing damage to them. Not to say the Baron _couldn't_ cause damage – he could – it was just that... they knew personally the pain of an injured angel at the end of a lost fight, and they didn't see any need to put others through that if they didn't have to.

An angel with red hair and an orange dress, named Pepper, was her first opponent. Pepper launched an aerial attack right off the bat – Baron carefully braced when Haru saw that the attack intended to connect a foot to the Baron's face, and leant back. Rather than being kicked in the face, Baron caught the foot in a cradle made from his hands, and then heaved.

Pepper was launched up and away. She just barely managed to land on the very edge of the layer, but the landing wasn't balanced. While Pepper was regaining her footing, Baron ran up and gently pushed her, sending her out of the layer.

"Baron wins!"

Haru smiled, and Baron smiled back at her.

It became a theme. Aerial attacks, Baron did his best to catch and send back. Charges where given extra momentum to carry them on. Layer-out after layer-out was credited to their names, some of them were angel-deus pairs that Haru and Baron had done battle with at Piffle Princess. It continued until the final of the Kobe Qualifiers brought Haru up against a face that she hadn't seen in person for quite some time.

"Mihara-kun," Haru greeted.

"Yoshioka-san," Ohjiro greeted in return, a surprised but happy expression on his face. "It's been a while."

Haru nodded. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I suggested we meet again," she admitted.

Ohjiro chuckled. "I confess, I hadn't considered this either," he agreed. "I found an alternative dance routine for Wizard," he said. "And I practised that impressive exit from the layer as well."

Haru smiled. "Then we'll have a good battle, right?" she asked.

Ohjiro nodded and headed for his chair on the 'east' side of the layer.

Haru smiled to herself and moved towards the 'west' corner.

When they had their headsets on and Baron and Wizard were both on the layer, the commentator called out "Angelic fight!" and the clock on their fight began to count down.

Neither of them moved.

The commentator coughed when, ten full seconds in, there was _still_ no movement from either angel on the layer. "Uh, angelic fight?" he repeated.

Haru giggled, and Baron removed his cape. He tossed it aside and casually walked up to Wizard, rather than charging as others had done in past fights.

Wizard shifted into a defensive position, taking a more solid stance and bringing up his fists in case he needed to block an attack.

Baron caught one of Wizard's wrists as the fists came up, dropped low to sweep the other angel's legs out from under him, and continued to spin. When he released Wizard, the blue-haired angel was sent flying off towards the far side of the layer. Baron stood straight again.

"So, it's going to be like that is it?" Ohjiro asked, and then sent Wizard on the attack.

Haru laughed. "You haven't been watching my previous matches, have you?" she asked him as Baron spun out of Wizard's way, around, took hold of Wizard's coat, and kept spinning around. He didn't release his opponent until just the right moment that would send him flying over the edge of the layer.

Haru blinked in surprise when Wizard grabbed onto Baron and dragged him out of the layer with him.

"It's a _double layer-out_!" the announcer declared, shocked.

Haru laughed as she slipped from her seat and went to fetch Baron. That wasn't such a bad loss, as losses went. In fact, it was funny. Her opponent had used her attack against her, even though he couldn't escape from it.

"Yoshioka-san..." Ohjiro said, a hint of awe in his voice as he joined her beside the layer to collect his angel.

Haru smiled at him. "How about you call me Haru?" she offered as she reached across the layer to collect the Baron's cape.

Ohjiro blushed a little and smiled back. "If you'll call me Ohjiro," he answered.

Haru nodded. "Okay," she agreed. "Oh, Ohjiro-kun... your school uniform..."

Ohjiro blinked and looked down at himself, and then at Haru. They had both had to come to the games straight from school that day, and so were both in their uniforms still. They hadn't been when they'd first met. Ohjiro smiled.

"It looks like we both go to the same school," he said, realising the same thing that Haru had. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in having lunch with me tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'd like that," Haru agreed. "The roof is a nice place to have lunch."

"Then I'll see you there, Haru," Ohjiro agreed.

~oOo~

"No, it's true, I really don't know!" Ohjiro said, laughter in his voice and a smile on his face as they sat together, bentos in their laps. "I'd just won a battle and then the announcer was yelling about _another victory to the layer's young nobleman_ ," Ohjiro explained.

"There are worse things to be called," Haru pointed out as she laughed along.

"Says the girl who gave her angel a _title_ for a name," Ohjiro teased lightly.

Haru slipped Baron off her shoulder, and manipulated him so that he took off his own top hat and bowed slightly to Ohjiro. "But you have to admit that it suits me," she said, lowering her voice and putting on an English accent when she spoke for him.

Ohjiro laughed again. "It does," he agreed. "As does the suit," he added. "Why...?" he started, then frowned slightly at himself, trying to think of a good way to phrase his question.

"The suit is too nice for fighting in," Haru said, guessing at the question. "And the black outfit has more stretch and give as well, letting the Baron do all those impressive feats of flexibility while he's dancing," she explained.

Ohjiro nodded. "It... it never occurred to me to have more than one outfit for my angel," he admitted, looking down at where Wizard was perched on top of his school bag.

"Well, you're a boy," Haru said, as though that explained everything. "Boys don't generally play with dolls," she continued. "Angelic Layer being an exception. But even girls who are tomboys have at least one doll when they're little, and can spend hours just dressing, undressing, and redressing their dolls."

Ohjiro gave Haru an incredulous look, as though he didn't believe her.

Haru laughed. "I've got a four-year-old neighbour who I can introduce you to if you need proof," she told him.

"Did _you_ ever do that?" he asked.

"I was a tomboy, and my doll was a china doll that I inherited from my grandmother, so I didn't spend hours changing her clothes. I had seven different vests for my favourite teddy bear though," Haru answered with a smirk. "One for each day of the week."

Ohjiro laughed, and Haru laughed right along with him.

"You told me, back when we met, that Baron had his own way of doing things," Ohjiro said softly, once they'd stopped laughing.

Haru nodded. "Even a doll will develop a personality, if you just let it," she answered, her own voice soft. "Like... does Wizard _always_ sit like that?" she asked, and pointed to where the blue-haired angel was sitting, with one arm resting on the knee of a propped up leg.

Ohjiro blinked and looked at his angel again. "I... guess he does," he said, realisation in his voice. He hadn't even been aware of that.

"And when he stands on the layer, he stands in a certain way," Haru continued. "So does Baron, and any other angel that is loved by their Deus. The people who are only interested in fighting with their angels... they land on the layer and immediately get ready for the fight. People like us, we relish that moment when we see our angel coming to life on the layer. It isn't _all_ about fighting and winning and being the most powerful."

Ohjiro nodded, both in understanding an agreement. "Think you'll do well in the Kansai games?" he asked. "One loss and you're out."

Haru giggled. "I'll see _you_ in the finals," she promised. "Even if there will be twenty-six other people there. I won't lose."

Ohjiro chuckled. "So do you have an idea of who you'll ask to be your Second in the National Games then?"

Haru sighed. "No," she admitted. "I mean, I'd ask my mother, but she works."

"What about your father?" he asked.

"... He's dead," she said softly.

"I'm sorry."

Haru shook her head. "You didn't know, and it happened a few years ago. Mama and I are doing fine, but she can't take time off," she explained. "It's not like it's a big deal."

"Having only one parent, or not having a Second?" Ohjiro asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Either," Haru answered with a weak smirk. "I'm used to it being just me, Mama, and the Baron at home, and... I still have time to find a Second."

"Provided you survive the Kansai games," Ohjiro pointed out. "This will be your first time competing there, won't it?"

Haru nodded. "Provided Baron and I make it through the Kansai games, because this is our first time competing," she agreed.

"... You could ask your boyfriend," Ohjiro suggested after a moment.

Haru burst out laughing at the suggestion, without meaning to at all.

"What did I say?" Ohjiro asked, amused by the way Haru was clutching at her sides and laughing so hard.

"Boyfriend," Haru answered, and wiped away the tears she'd been about to start crying from laughing so hard. "Never had one."

Ohjiro blinked, surprised, but made no further comment as that piece of information sank in.

~oOo~

"The Baron's cat-like features are barely a hint towards his cat-like reflexes and incredible flexibility," the commentator called as Baron won his third fight in the Kansai games, having kicked his opponent out of the layer with a move that looked like it should have been performed by a gymnast in the Olympics, rather than in a fight – supporting the weight of his body on his hands completely as he swung his legs around.

"I... I lost," Haru's opponent said as she collected up her angel – a blonde all dressed in dark purple, with red 'wings' on the back of her dress and a matching visor, called Gigi. The girl was called Kiki. "I wanted to go to the Nationals so bad..."

"Maybe you'll make it next year," Haru offered. "You just have to keep practising."

Kiki looked up from her angel at Haru, smiled weakly, and nodded. "It was a good fight," she said, and offered her hand.

Haru took it, and the two girls shook before parting.

"Making friends?" Ohjiro asked Haru when she left the arena. He'd been waiting for her by the contestant's door.

Haru shrugged. "Not really," she admitted. "She just looked so sad, I had to say something."

Ohjiro smiled slightly.

"Ohjiro Mihara, you're up next," an attendant called.

"Thank you," Ohjiro answered her, then turned back to Haru. "Look, the Kanto Games are starting the day after tomorrow, and I was wondering if you'd like to go see them with me?" he asked.

Haru smiled. "I'd love to," she agreed. "Now get out there and win," she instructed, and gave his shoulder a gentle shove.

Ohjiro chuckled. "Cheer for me?" he asked as he waved and started walking out.

"Of course!" Haru answered.

~oOo~

"You're going to Tokyo to watch the Kanto Games?" Naoko repeated, blinking in surprise. "With a _boy_?"

Haru blushed briefly at her mother's implication. "If I win my matches at the Kansai Games tomorrow, then I'd be going to Tokyo for the Nationals soon enough anyway," she pointed out. "And... Ohjiro-kun is nice," she allowed quietly.

Naoko smiled. "Will you be staying there over night, or will you catch the bullet train home again in the evening?" she asked.

"Ohjiro-kun's older brother works in Tokyo, we'd be staying with him while we're there," Haru answered.

Naoko nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "You've got a couple more years before you'll be a legal adult, but I know you're not a child any more, so I trust you. I'll call the school and have them excuse you from classes, and hold your homework for you."

"Arigato, Mama."

"Besides, you'll have your angels there to act as chaperones," Naoko teased. "And Ohjiro Mihara _is_ called the layer's 'young nobleman' for a reason, so I suppose I can trust him with my baby girl as well."

"Mama!" Haru yelped, a bright red tinge taking over her entire face.


	4. Chapter 4

Haru and Ohjiro smirked at each other across the layer. It was the final match for the Kansai Games, and when it was over, they'd be going together to Tokyo to watch the Kanto Games. First though, they were going to make sure that this battle wasn't just a repeat of their previous fight in the Kobe Qualifiers.

"After last time, there's no way I'm charging you again," Ohjiro informed Haru.

Haru laughed. "But that was such an interesting way to end a fight," she said happily. "But if you like, I'll charge _you_ then."

Ohjiro nodded. "I'd really appreciate that," he answered with a smile.

So Baron charged, then he jumped, and was about to land feet-first in Wizard's chest when... he bounced back.

"I call it Magic Guard," Ohjiro said with a smile as Baron was forced to flip in the air so that he could land on his feet. "He is, after all, a wizard."

Haru laughed, and applauded her opponent. "Very clever," she said. "But we won't let it stop us, will we Baron?" she asked her angel.

Baron's response was to shake his head firmly, grit his teeth, and with a quick pirouette he dropped low, still spinning. Wizard started to step back, but just as he lifted one foot, Baron lashed out and grabbed the raised one of Wizard's ankles. He went for the ankle so that he wouldn't be grabbed by his opponent like he had been the _last_ time they'd fought, and continued spinning, standing at the same time. The combined momentum of the centrifugal force from the spin and the upward movement, sent Wizard flying when Baron released his grip.

"Incredible!" the commentator yelled into his microphone. "We saw a new technique that made it impossible for Wizard to be hit, and I don't know how he did it, but Baron found a way around Wizard's Magic Guard, and has now thrown the previously undefeated Wizard out of the layer! Baron wins!"

Haru smiled at Ohjiro as Baron collected his cape and Ohjiro collected Wizard.

"So, now we're unlikely to be paired up to fight each other again unless we both make it to the finals of the Nationals," Haru said once Baron was sitting on her shoulder again and she'd left the 'west corner' in favour of Ohjiro's company. "And we both know that whoever gets to the finals is going to face Shu."

Ohjiro nodded, and gestured for her to walk with him out of the arena.

Haru smiled. "So will you pretty-please tell me how Magic Guard works?" she asked as they left the lights and the roaring crowd behind. "I've got a theory and I'm curious to know if I was right. I won't use it or tell anybody else, I promise, I just want to know."

Ohjiro chuckled. "Alright," he agreed. "On one condition."

Haru blinked. "What condition?" she asked, a little wary.

Ohjiro smiled. "Be my Second in the Nationals?" he asked.

Haru smiled back. "If you'll be my Second as well," she agreed.

"Done," Ohjiro agreed, and leant forward to kiss Haru's cheek – the one on the opposite side of her face to where Baron was sitting. He was blushing when he drew back.

Haru blushed in answer, but smiled. "S-so, Magic Guard?" she asked.

Ohjiro nodded.

~oOo~

"Ringo Seto the singer?" Haru asked when the first two contestants entered the arena for the very first fight of the Kanto games. Then she shrugged. "Well, I suppose with all the stress of being a star, she'd want something she can do for fun. I'm surprised she chose Angelic Layer though."

Ohjiro chuckled. "Actually, I'm more interested in her opponent," he said.

"Misaki Suzuhara," Haru mused.

Ohjiro nodded. "I had to come to Tokyo just before the Kobe Regionals, to help my brother with his work. I took some time out to visit the local Piffle Princess, and there was Suzuhara-chan, practising by dancing on the layer."

Haru smiled.

"The same dance that _I_ had figured out for Wizard to practice with," Ohjiro continued. "Which meant that my brother must have taught it to her."

Haru's eyes widened. "Which means that, for some reason, the creator of Angelic Layer has an interest in her," she said softly. "Ohjiro-kun, do you know what that reason is?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the fight.

Ohjiro nodded. "She's the champion's daughter, but Suzuhara-chan and Shu haven't seen each other for years," he said softly. "I don't think Suzuhara-chan even knows that her mother is the champion."

Haru nodded in understanding. "Oh, look, she's figured out how to avoid Ranga's attacks," she commented.

"That's impressive," Ohjiro said. "She only just started playing, and I know Ichiro had to put a rush on Suzuhara-chan's Angel Card so that it was done in time for her to compete."

Both of them felt their eyes go wide when the little red angel performed a manoeuvre that rather famously belonged to another, very young Deus – and sent Ranga off the layer.

"Holy cow! That was speedy Suzuka's secret technique: Rolling Thunder!" the commentator yelled, impressed. "Hikaru beat a strong opponent, Ranga, with the same technique used on her in the Tokyo Games!"

"What was that? Did she just copy Suzuka?" a voice from a little way over exclaimed, sounding offended even as the rest of the stadium echoed with the chant of "Hi-Ka-Ru!"

"Yes, but it's not a technique a new player can easily do," another voice answered, impressed.

"She must have good eyes," a third voice said.

Haru pointed to where the comments they could hear were coming from, and she and Ohjiro walked over to where four girls were standing together, and had clearly been watching the match.

"That means she has a terrific sense of strategy," continued the girl who'd spoken third – she was the tallest of the four, with short-cut mouse-brown hair.

"That's correct," Ohjiro agreed as the two of them walked up to the other four, gaining their attention. "It's going to be interesting to see how well she does."

"I'm afraid the fun and games are about to come to an end," said the girl with two buns on her head, and dressed in an outfit that resembled a Chinese fighting uniform. "Because _I'm_ the one who will defeat Hatoko Kobayashi."

"Ohjiro-kun, can you introduce me?" Haru requested softly, changing the subject.

"I'm Sai Jounouchi," said the tallest girl before Ohjiro could say anything. "This is Kaede Saito," she continued with a gesture to the glasses-wearing girl dressed in dusky-pink at her side. "And these two are Madoka and Arisu Fujisaki."

"I'm Haru Yoshioka," Haru said, and bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"M-Mister Mihara!" called the youngest girl, Arisu Fujisaki, as she quickly moved around all the other girls to Ohjiro. "Can I have... your autograph please?" she asked, and bowed as she thrust out a slim book with a pen, her voice squeaking on the last word.

Ohjiro blinked, sighed, and took the book with a slightly resigned smile.

Haru giggled at the by-play.

Kaede's eyes widened behind her glasses as she spotted the angel sitting on Haru's shoulder. "You're the one who defeated Mihara-san in the Kansai games," she said softly, and suddenly all attention was locked on Haru, except for Ohjiro's, as he was flipping through the book he'd been handed until he could find a blank page to sign. "But... your angel was wearing different clothes."

Haru nodded. "That's right," she agreed. "Baron has a different outfit for fighting in and for hanging around with me. It was a good fight."

"One of these days, I _will_ beat you," Ohjiro said.

Haru giggled. "We've only battled twice," she pointed out, and poked him in the chest at the same time. "They say that the third time is the charm, but you _like_ a challenging fight, so don't think I'm about to just give it to you because it will be the third. I'm going for a hat-trick."

Ohjiro laughed. "I'm not going to let you get it," he said firmly, a smile on his face. "But we should really get going now."

Haru nodded. "It was nice meeting you all," she said to the other girls. "I'll see you around."

"We'll be here every day," Sai answered.

Haru smiled. "Then I'll look for you."

Ohjiro fake-pouted. "Does that mean you'll leave me behind?" he asked.

"A girl needs girls to hang out with," Haru answered as she let him lead her away. "And the girls in my class are all too interested in boys and whatever sports their boyfriend's play. They jump from sport to sport as their relationships dissolve and re-form."

Ohjiro laughed.

~oOo~

"So, who are we betting on taking the two top spots for Kanto?" Haru asked when the second round of battles was over, the third was beginning, and they were headed outside to enjoy a picnic lunch.

"Misaki Suzuhara," Ohjiro answered immediately. "For certain, she and her mother are so alike."

Haru smiled. "I haven't met either of them, but I'll take your word for it. What about the other spot? I feel like I could name the top four, but not the top two."

"Oh, and who would your top four be?" Ohjiro asked.

"Hikaru," Haru counted off. "We've established that. Apart from her, I'd also expect Suzuka, Shirahime, and Blanche to get that far. But how they'll match up and who will win, that I'm not so sure of."

Ohjiro nodded in agreement. "Well, those fights will be tomorrow, so we don't have to worry about them just yet."

" _We_ don't have to worry about them at all," Haru pointed out. " _We_ aren't fighting them."

Ohjiro chuckled. "Yes," he agreed, "that's true."

"Oh!" a voice said, and Ohjiro stopped – a small body had bumped into him, as he had been looking at Haru, rather than where he was going.

"Hello there, Suzuhara-chan," Ohjiro greeted when he looked down to see who he'd bumped into.

"Huh, Mister Mihara?" Misaki answered, surprised, as she turned and backed up. It seemed she'd backed into Ohjiro without realising he was there as well.

"What's up?" asked another girl in the same school uniform as Misaki. "Who's he?"

"No way!" exclaimed Ringo softly from across the table that had been kindly provided for picnicking on. "Ohjiro Mihara? And Haru Yoshioka?"

"Huh?" Misaki asked, turning to the star she had recently defeated – and apparently made friends with. "You know him, Ringo?"

"Of course I know the layer's young nobleman!" Ringo answered.

Haru couldn't help the smile that came to her face every time she heard Ohjiro's nickname.

"Young nobleman?" Misaki echoed, confused.

"He won the Kansai Games two years running, and was runner up at the Nationals as well! He was a favourite to do it again this year, but then Haru Yoshioka defeated him at this year's Kansai games," Ringo explained, and then looked at the two middle-school girls. "You didn't know?" she asked them, surprised.

"Wh-what!?" Misaki yelped, turning back to the pair. "I never knew!"

Haru hummed in amusement, and now Ohjiro was smiling as well.

"You are cute when you're surprised," Haru teased the girl kindly.

"But isn't it about time for you to be returning to the arena?" Ohjiro asked, a smile on his face.

"Oh!" Misaki yelped. "I forgot!" She hurried to collect her back-pack and angel. "See you guys later," she bid. "Please finish off the sandwiches," she added, and looked from her friends to Ohjiro and Haru, clearly including them in the invitation as well. "There's plenty left for everyone."

"You show 'em Misaki-chi," the other girl said, raising a fist in encouragement. "Shoot for the stars!"

"Mhm," Misaki agreed with a nod. "Mister Mihara, thank you very much," she said, and hurried off.

"I kind of want to take her home with me," Haru commented, a smile on her face, as they all watched the small twelve-year-old run off.

"I won't let you have my Misaki-chi!" objected the other girl who was wearing the same uniform as Misaki.

Haru turned to her. "And what might your name be?" Haru asked her.

"Eh? Oh, I'm Tamayo Kizaki," the girl said. "And this is Kotaro-chan," she added, jumping across the table to wrap up the boy who had also been with them in an impressive choke-hold.

"Kotaro Kobayashi," the boy choked out.

Haru smiled. "Kizaki-chan, I know they call it a crush when you like someone, but that doesn't mean you're supposed to actually try and crush him," she said.

Tamayo turned red and quickly released Kotaro, who gasped for breath as he collapsed on the grass.

"Aha! Ringo!" snapped a woman in a grey suit, and pointed angrily at the young pop idol.

The girl in question turned, a look of fear on her face. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, and ran for it. The woman in the grey skirt gave chase.

"Shall we head in and take seats to watch the fight?" Haru suggested to Ohjiro as she picked up two of the sandwiches from the basket Misaki had left.

"Sure," Ohjiro agreed with a nod. "See you around everybody," he said, before gesturing for Haru to lead the way back to the stadium.

"Nice meeting you," Haru agreed with a wave.


	5. Chapter 5

"Look, there are two seats free next to your young fan," Haru teased.

Ohjiro shook his head. "You can sit with her if you like, but I think I'll go watch with Sai and Kaede," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of where the older two girls were standing and watching.

Haru nodded. "I'll see you after then," she promised.

Ohjiro nodded, then hesitated, a blush on his face, before he kissed Haru's cheek. "After," he agreed.

Haru blushed – that was the second time he'd kissed her cheek – before she hurried down the stairs to where Arisu was sitting.

"May I join you?" she asked.

Arisu's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded after a moment.

Haru smiled and slipped past where Arisu was sitting on the end of the row to take one of the empty seats next to her.

"And now, enter the angels!"

"Angel wings, please guide me and Hikaru!" Misaki called, and threw her angel to the layer. "The angel descends!"

"Hit! Slash! Break!" Madoka shouted once Hikaru had touched down on the layer, her left arm moving sharply with each word. "Mao's fist is my fist!" she declared, her angel held in her other hand. "The angel descends!" she called out, and threw Mao, her angel, onto the layer.

"Ooh," Haru cooed. "Mao's got the moves," she said with a giggle. "And you made her?"

Arisu nodded. "Mao is perfectly in tune with Madoka," Arisu said. "Able to use her kung-fu like no other angel possibly could."

Haru smiled softly. "And yet despite that, Mao is having trouble hitting Hikaru," she commented.

Arisu frowned at that, and practically growled when Mao was driven into the mat. "We'll never lose to the likes of her!" she said angrily, and reached into her pocket.

Haru frowned when Hikaru faltered in time with that action. "Arisu-chan?" she asked carefully, her voice deceptively light. "Are you losing faith in your sister's ability to win on her own? Do you think that the angel you built isn't good enough to win without outside help?"

Arisu stiffened in her seat, and turned to glare at Haru.

Haru raised an eyebrow at the other girl pointedly, and held out a hand to Arisu. "You can stop now and still have a chance to win, or you can keep it up and be disqualified for cheating," she pointed out coldly.

Arisu flinched. Slowly, she pulled the device out of her pocket that she had been using, and set it in Haru's hand.

"Thank you," Haru said quietly, and lay the device pointedly on her knee once she'd removed the battery. "Now, let's sit back, relax, and enjoy the game," she suggested, and smiled at Arisu. "After all, it _is_ a game, and games are supposed to be fun."

"Fun?" Arisu asked, confused, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.

Haru blinked down at the girl. "Yes," she said. "Fun. Haven't you ever played?" she asked.

Arisu shook her head. "I'm not good at moving them," she admitted.

Haru chuckled. "No one is straight away," she pointed out. "But learning together with your angel is part of the fun."

Arisu blinked, still trying to understand, even as she returned her attention to the match.

Ultimately, Hikaru defeated Mao, but it was a good fight, and the two girls met beside the layer after the fight when Madoka collected Mao from the floor after a layer-out defeat.

Haru smiled and nodded to herself, and returned the little device to Arisu. "I hope you learned from this," she said softly, "and I hope I get to battle you on the layer one day," she offered with a smile, then slipped past the girl and up the stairs.

"You were right about who'd get into the semi-finals," Ohjiro said by way of greeting when he met her at the top of the stairs.

Haru smiled back at him. "Next year, those sisters will be interesting to watch."

"I'm just looking forward to getting the chance to fight against Hikaru and Suzuhara-chan," Ohrjio replied. "Next year's contestants can wait to be thought of until then."

"Yes Sir, Mister Young Nobleman, Sir!" Haru teased, smiling cheekily at him.

"When they give _you_ a nickname, I will look forward to repaying your teasing in kind," he promised lightly.

Haru giggled. "Why don't you just come up with a nickname for me yourself?" she suggested.

Ohjiro sighed. "If only it were that easy," he lamented. "I want to call you the Princess of the Layer, but with Shu being the reigning queen, and her daughter joining the competition this year, I think that title might be taken, even if that's not what they're calling Suzuhara-chan yet."

"Well, nations have been known to have more than one princess," Haru pointed out, a blush rising on her cheeks. "If you really think that suits me."

Ohjiro smiled, a blush now tinting his own cheeks. "I do," he answered. "Princess Haru, and her noble, dancing Baron," he declared softly, and kissed her cheek again.

Haru's blush deepened. "You seem to be making a habit of that," she said softly.

"Do you mind?" Ohjiro asked cautiously.

Haru shook her head. "Not really," she answered quietly, a small smile on her still blushing face.

"I'm glad."

~oOo~

Haru whistled lowly, impressed, when Ohjiro led her to the control room for better-than-front-row seats.

"Ohjiro," greeted a man in a lab coat with messy hair and glasses on his face.

"Big brother," Ohjiro answered. "Haru, you know my brother, Ichiro. This is Ogata, and Miss Hiromi Fujimori," he presented with a gesture. "And..." he trailed off when confronted with the fourth face in the control room. A face he had definitely not expected to see.

"Shoko Asami," the woman said with a smile, introducing herself.

"The newscaster who's been covering the games," Haru said with a nod. "Pleased to meet you."

"Misaki is my niece," Shoko added.

Haru nodded in acknowledgement. "The new technology is impressive," she complimented. "Giving the angels something more to run around on than just a flat white surface, it's amazing."

"Thank you," Ichiro said with a smile.

"But," Haru said with a smirk. "As impressive as the scenery is, I think the fights that we'll see on them will be even _more_ impressive."

"The first fight certainly has that potential," Ichiro agreed solemnly, and they all turned to the screen.

It was Hikaru versus Blanche, and it was one for the files.

"It's really something," Haru commented softly, even as Misaki's impatience with the battle was frustrating Ichiro.

"What is?" Ogata asked curiously.

"On a two-dimensional battlefield, we never really see the angels take advantage of all the things they can do," Haru answered. "Like right now, I wonder if Saito-san and Suzuhara-chan even notice that their angels are completely ignoring gravity."

The others in the room blinked in surprise.

"They are, aren't they," Shoko said softly, eyes wide.

Haru giggled. "Was I the only one in the room to notice that?" she asked.

"You were," Ohjiro admitted with a rueful smile.

"Without wings, they're flying, without having anything to push against, they're jumping higher," Hiromi said softly, awed as she realised just what it was she was seeing.

"And I'll bet it's because they're not fighting on a flat surface," Haru said. "They're forgetting that 'down' is something that happens, because they're too preoccupied with going across. On the layer... even the effects of gravity are something that have to be visualised by the Deus."

"We do it so naturally though, that no one ever realised before. The old 'what goes up must come down', so we expect that, and so we visualise that, without necessarily meaning to," Ohjiro agreed, his voice soft with awe at the implications.

Ichiro's eyes were wide behind his glasses as that sank into his brain as well.

Then the fight got even more interesting, from the spectators point of view. Hikaru had gotten Blanche to a critical point, and the white angel was one hit away from being able to go into hyper-mode.

"Blanche is about to become terrifying," Ohjiro said when he saw it.

"You're right," Ichiro agreed. "We haven't seen her in quite a while. Fujimori, please make sure to record it."

"Right, Chief," she agreed, and double-checked that the fight was being recorded – by as many of the cameras as possible.

"Huh, what?" Ogata asked, confused. "What's going to happen?"

"You, shut up!" Ichiro snapped, much more serious than he usually was.

Hikaru made that hit, and Blanche lit up. It was truly spectacular, beautiful, and terrifying.

"This is Blanche's hyper-mode," Ichiro said grimly.

"Hyper-mode?" Shoko asked.

"Blanche becomes hyper-active once her damage level exceeds fifty-point-one percent," Ichiro explained. "To avoid any more damage, the angel starts attacking without using the limiter."

"Is there such a setting?" Shoko asked, voice soft and eyes fixed on the screen.

"There's not," Ichiro answered. "It's a bug. It's like a secret trick found only in the angels that were in the first shipment."

Haru blinked at that information, and looked at Baron where he was sitting on her shoulder. He was part of the first shipment, she was fairly sure.

"So then, why didn't you recall the first shipment when you found out?" Ogata asked.

"You want to know?" Ichiro asked lowly, and Haru saw Hiromi hold up a rather sad-looking angel.

Ogata flinched back.

"Users exceed the creator's imagination," Ichiro said as he turned back to the screen. "That's the way toys should be, and, uh..."

"And what?" Shoko asked, finally turning from the screen.

"It was the first model. "We had difficulty creating it. And... We cared about them," Ichiro explained.

"And now... Misaki... It's ironic," Ohjiro said. "Misaki and Hikaru are now facing a challenge because _she_ loved the first angel."

"And so did everybody who bought one," Haru joined in, raising a finger to stroke Baron's cheek tenderly. "A bug like that... the angels still worked, there was no way that the people who already had one were going to give them up."

"Exactly," Ichiro agreed, a little sadly, though there was also a small, proud smile on his face.

Only Ogata didn't know who Ohjiro meant, and none of them bothered to tell him, all too focused on the fight.

Hikaru had just stood up after being hit, directly, by Blanche in her hyper-mode.

"Even though it would be like running an extra mile after a marathon, Kaede and Blanche will use hyper-mode to the very end," Ohjiro said.

"That's because Hikaru is a very strong opponent," Ichiro answered.

"And this fight will either take her out of the running, or make her even stronger as she finds a way to fight back," Haru agreed. "My money is on Hikaru coming through."

"Even against hyper-mode?" Ogata asked, surprised.

"Even against hyper-mode," Haru agreed. "Look at Hikaru's face," she said, and pointed to the part of the screen that was focused on the red angel.

Then Hikaru stood up, and the fight continued.

"Oh man, she lowered her guard!" Ogata exclaimed a moment later. "It's like she's _asking_ to get hit."

"It's like Miss Shuko told me the other day," Ohjiro said. "It's not just the angels, but the hearts of the Deuses that are doing the fighting."

Blanche charged, kicked, and there was a sort of explosion. When the smoke cleared, Hikaru was holding Blanche by the ankle – and then used it as leverage to bring a roundhouse kick to the white angel's head, sending her flying, and ending the fight in her favour with less than a minute to spare.

"Awesome," Hiromi breathed.

"She deliberately let her strike to stop her movement," Ohjiro observed, impressed.

"Once she begins, she never lets up fighting until the very end," Ichiro said proudly. "They're so much alike."

"And now Suzuhara-chan will be going to the National Games," Haru added, a smile on her face.

"Huh?" Shoko asked. Her sister might be the reigning champion, and she might cover the games for her news channel, but she hadn't ever really gotten this into it before, and didn't know all the details.

Ohjiro nodded. "Both finalists go to the Nationals," he explained. "The final battle determines their placing going in. Will there be a party to celebrate?" he asked innocently. "After her progression has been officially confirmed, I mean."

Shoko laughed. "Sure," she agreed. "And you're both invited. We'll have it at my house, lunch time on Sunday."

"I'll put up a public invitation in the local Piffle Princess," Ohjiro said with a smile.

Haru rolled her eyes. "I'll bring extra food," she promised Shoko. "It wouldn't be fair to expect you and Suzuhara-chan to do all the cooking for a party in her honour."

"Arigato," Shoko answered with a slight laugh.

"Alright, break for lunch before the next match," Ichiro declared, and ushered everybody out of the room.

Haru poked Ohjiro in the arm once it was just the two of them, walking together to get food before they'd go in to watch the match between Suzuka and Shirahime. "What's this party stuff?" she asked slyly. "I know _I_ didn't have a party for getting into the Nationals, and it's _my_ first time too."

Ohjiro donned that innocent expression again. "Then we can celebrate that at the same time," he said, smiling at her.

Haru narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Ohjiro-kun, your secret planning is no longer secret," she informed him. "I may not know what you're planning, but I know you're planning _something_."

Ohjiro chuckled weakly. "Nothing bad, I promise," he insisted.

Haru rolled her eyes, but accepted that she wouldn't find out what Ohjiro was up to until he followed through and everybody else found out as well.


	6. Chapter 6

"Here's a question," Haru said as she stood with Ohjiro, leaning on the railing behind the stands to watch the final match of the Kanto Games – Hikaru against Shirahime – just as they'd watched the very first match between Hikaru and Ranga.

"Yes?"

"How does Kobayashi-chan maintain the nickname 'every-victorious goddess', even when she's suffered a loss?" Haru asked.

Ohjiro blinked, smiled, and shook his head. "I really don't know," he admitted. "But I'm not the one who comes up with these nicknames. I don't understand how a five-year-old can be a goddess in the first place. I can understand Suzuhara-chan being called the 'miracle rookie' though."

Haru nodded in acceptance of that. "I think the only reason I dodged that nickname myself was because I'd been battling for the year leading up to entering, and had that record. Suzuhara-chan on the other hand came very far very quickly."

Ohjiro chuckled at her, and turned back to the layer. "What's your forecast?" he asked. "With a layer like this -"

"It exacerbates Hikaru's weakness, yes," Haru acknowledged. "But Suzuhara-chan has displayed a propensity to overcome difficulties, I think. It will be close. Too close for me to feel comfortable calling the winner."

Ohjiro nodded in acceptance.

"Misaki has become very strong," a young voice said.

Haru and Ohjiro turned to see Hatoko Kobayashi and Kaede Saito joining them by the rail.

"And very quickly," Ohjiro agreed. "It's impressive."

"But," Kaede said, concerned for the middle-school girl, "she... hasn't figured out what her weak point is yet."

"And Hikaru's only really damaging Shirahime's clothes, not her," Haru added. "See?" she pointed out, as the crowd roared and the announcer called out that the larger angel had thrown off her outer kimono.

"It seems Shirahime just got serious," the announcer called, as Shirahime stood in only a white-and-purple swim suit and her very long socks.

"And now we get to see if Suzuhara-chan can overcome the difficulties of being a lightweight fighting a heavyweight on sand," Haru said.

Silently, they watched together.

"Hikaru is a super-light weight, dedicated to speed above all else," Ohjiro said softly. "Ultimately, the result is lower offensive power. She hits and makes contact, but in this case, they just aren't causing critical damage to the heavier opponent."

"Shirahime's defence abilities are superior..." Hatoko said softly, concerned for her friend.

"Sai realised that Hikaru doesn't have the strength to push Shirahime off the layer from the centre of the playing field," Kaede agreed.

"And as a bonus, the sand means that Hikaru can't get a proper footing. She lacks the stability to launch a proper attack, and against a heavyweight emphasised in defence, well," Haru joined in with a nod.

"I believe in Hikaru though," Hatoko insisted.

Haru shrugged and nodded. "She can still win," she allowed. "When she realises that there's more to this beach setting than the sand where they've been fighting so far."

And then Hikaru led Shirahime on a chase across the rocks over the water, and tossed her in. It was an action that changed the, uh, _tide_ of the fight.

"The champion of the Angelic Layer Kanto Games is Misaki Suzuhara!"

Kaede excused herself to go and be with her friend who had just lost, and Hatoko went to congratulate _her_ friend who had just won.

Ohjiro and Haru looked at each other when it was just the two of them again.

"I've figured out your plan," Haru informed him.

"Have you?" Ohjiro asked with a smirk, his tone clearly saying that he was quite sure that she hadn't.

"You're putting me in the way of interesting and mostly-pleasant people so that I'll have more friends than just you and the Baron," Haru accused, poking him firmly in the chest as she did so, getting right up close and invading his personal space.

Ohjiro blinked and blushed a lightly at how close she was.

Haru smiled and backed off a bit. "Thank you," she said softly, and on her shoulder, the Baron's head tipped forward slightly as though he were nodding in grateful acknowledgement as well.

Ohjiro's blush darkened slightly. "You're welcome," he answered softly.

~oOo~

Haru went home to Kobe after the Kanto finals. She wanted to talk with her mother, collect her deferred homework, and get some clean clothes, since the Nationals _would_ be starting soon.

She'd just left the train station that brought her home again when she noticed an odd blue-grey cat with a gold collar walking down the footpath. Okay, the cat wasn't odd, well, maybe the mismatched eyes were, but that wasn't the strangest thing. What was really out of place was that it was carrying a little yellow box by the red ribbon that was tied around it.

Then the cat stepped up to the side of the road, looked both ways, and was about to step out onto the road.

Haru grabbed it by the scruff of its neck before it got three paces out and yanked it back – and was glad that Baron rode in her bag when she was travelling by train. She didn't like to think of what might have happened if she'd tried that with him on her shoulder. He could have ended up beneath a truck like the cat almost had.

Haru noticed the cat was staring, wide-eyed, at the truck that had almost flattened him.

"That's right Cat," she informed it. "When crossing the road, cross at the lights, or with somebody who can see further than you can. Well, I've got to cross too," she said, and readjusted her hold on the cat so that it was cradled in her arms rather than dangling from one hand. "So I'll make sure you don't become cat-pancake this time, but be more careful from now on. Okay?"

The cat nodded.

"I'm going to act like that means you understood what I said and agreed," Haru decided, shook her head at herself, and headed for the marked pedestrian crossing.

The cat hopped down from Haru's arms when they reached the other side of the road, and sort-of bowed to her before it continued on its way.

Haru shrugged to herself, and continued on her way home.

"Haru! Okaeri!" Naoko greeted when Haru stepped through the front door of their home.

"Tadaima," Haru answered happily and hugged her mother tightly. "Oh, I missed you!"

"Not half as much as I missed you, I'm sure," Naoko countered as she happily returned it.

~oOo~

Haru had only gone to sleep an hour previous when she was woken up by odd music and lots of meowing. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and slipping on her slippers, Haru headed downstairs to see what all the noise was about.

It was a procession of cats, walking on their hind legs, and they came to a stop outside the front gate of her home.

A blue, tabby-pattered cat wearing a purple robe gestured for her to approach. "If you would please come over here, Miss?" he requested.

Haru pointed to herself, wanting to be absolutely sure.

"Yes you," the cat confirmed.

Haru stepped up. It was weird as all heck, but she wasn't shy, even of talking cats.

"May I present to you his imperial highness, king of Cat Kingdom, the Cat King!" the robe-wearing cat declared.

"That's me, Babe," quipped a fat, old, wall-eyed, greasy longhair from where he was lounging on a chair that was being carried by four other cats.

"Let it be known that the cat who's life you saved today was none other than our king's only son, Prince Lune. The Cat King would like to express his gratitude to you in his own words," the robed cat continued.

"Mm, thanks a lot, Babe," the longhair said shortly.

"Uh, you're welcome," Haru answered, and then a scroll was shoved into her face. She barely flinched back in time to avoid being hit by it.

"A list of what you shall receive," the robed cat explained.

Haru blinked at him, but didn't reach for the scroll. "Are there mice included?" she asked.

"A year's supply," agreed the brown cat that was holding the scroll, a grin on his face.

"Because I hate mice," Haru stated flatly. "I don't eat them."

The cats all went wide-eyed, shocked that one of their gifts could be so badly received by one they wished to thank.

"Well, I'm sure you'll like the cattails -" the brown cat offered.

"I'm allergic to cattails," Haru cut off with a shake of her head.

"Oh, well, then the catnip!" the brown cat persisted.

Haru shook her head. "Does absolutely nothing for me," she informed them.

"And the honour of being offered the paw of Prince Lune in marriage?" the robed cat asked hesitantly.

"Now that I have _several_ issues with," Haru said frankly.

"Like?" asked the Cat King lowly.

"I'm not interested in getting married right now, for one. I'm legally too young to marry, for two," Haru explained. "For three, when I am old enough to get married, I want to marry someone who I love, not someone I've never met. And last, but not least, nothing against your species, but I wouldn't ever want to marry a _cat_. I like cats fine, but not _that_ way. If the prince wanted to marry me, then I apologise, but I'm really not interested."

"Oh dear," the robed cat said. "It seems we made an error of judgement in this case."

The Cat King nodded sadly, and the brown cat lowered the scroll, the smile completely gone from his face.

"What sort of thanks _would_ you like?" the robed cat asked.

Haru shook her head. "I don't think it's really possible to put a price on a life like that," she said.

"True enough," the robed cat agreed solemnly. "Yet, it was our prince. It cannot be simply forgotten. What is something that humans hold as valuable?"

Haru shrugged. "Gold and jewels go a long way," she admitted. "But if you gave me those things, I'd just sell them so that I could buy something I wanted later."

"That might be the best option," the robed cat said and turned to his monarch.

"Yeah," the Cat King agreed. "Give the babe means to buy her own reward," he decided with a nod, then looked up at Haru. "Ciao Babe."

Haru nodded and stepped back. She watched them go for a while, then headed back inside. It was late, and she had laundry and homework to do in the morning before heading back to Tokyo the day after for the party, and then the Nationals.

~oOo~

"Uh... Miss Yoshioka?" Misaki greeted in confusion when she opened the door.

Haru smiled. "Ohayo, Suzuhara-chan," she answered. "Congratulations for winning in the Kanto finals."

"Th-thank you very much," Misaki said with a blush. "But, uh, why are you here?"

"Misaki, who's at the door?" Shoko asked, coming up. "Oh, Miss Yoshioka. Ohayo. You're here earlier than I expected."

Haru smiled at the older woman. "Ohayho, Asami-san. Coming later would be inconvenient," she answered. "The food wouldn't be ready in time for Suzuhara-chan's party, if I tried cooking it when other guests were here."

Shoko giggled. "That's true, but please, call me Shoko," she offered.

"Then please call me Haru," Haru agreed. "You too, Suzuhara-chan. You'll call me Haru, right?"

Misaki blinked, blind-sided by the entire conversation. "Uh... Hai! And please call me Misaki! Come in, Miss Haru!"

"Thank you," Haru said with a nod as she crossed the threshold of the house. "I brought a few things already cooked as well, and my own special blend of tea," she added, and held up the large bento and thermos that she'd brought with her.

"Thank you very much!" Misaki said, eyes wide.

Shoko smiled. "The kitchen is this way," she said, and led the way back into the heart of the home. "We were just about to start cooking ourselves, so everything is already laid out."

"Here's an apron for you, Miss Haru!" Misaki said, pulling out a simple blue apron. "I'd hate to see your nice clothes get dirty."

Haru smiled at Misaki. "Thank you," she said as she accepted the apron. "But, where's Hikaru?"

"She's right over there," Misaki said with a smile, and pointed to the table where the food would be laid out. Hikaru was sitting on the edge. "Why?"

Haru laughed softly, and withdrew Baron from her shoulder bag. "Would she like some company while we cook?" she suggested.

Misaki blinked, surprised. "Oh, yes, I'm sure she would!" she answered. "That's right, Miss Ringo said you'd won the Kansai Games," she said softly, mostly to herself, but Haru heard her.

"Just like you won the Kanto Games," Haru agreed with a nod, and set Baron down next to Hikaru before returning to the kitchen to help Misaki cook. "Have you got a Second yet?"

"Not yet," Misaki answered, a worried expression on her face.

"Do you know who you want to ask?" Haru asked.

"Mhm," Misaki murmured shyly, nodding. "I want to ask Hatoko-chan, but I don't know if she'll say yes."

"She's a good choice, and I'm sure she'll say yes," Haru agreed. "She's your friend, and she knows a lot about Angelic Layer. Will you ask her today at your party?"

Misaki nodded again, a shy smile on her face. "Uh, Miss Haru, who's _your_ Second? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Haru chuckled. "Ohjiro-kun is my Second," she answered. "And I'm going to be his as well."

"Huh?" Misaki asked, confused. "But I thought... you beat Mister Mihara?"

"Ohjiro-kun and I fought each other in the final match at the Kansai games, and even though I'm the one who won, Ohjiro will be going through to the Nationals as well, as the runner-up. Jounouchi-san will be going to the Nationals as well, even though she didn't win her match against you. You see?" Haru explained.

Misaki nodded. "I see," she agreed. "So that last match, it didn't matter if I won or lost, I'd still be going to the Nationals."

"Yes," Haru agreed, "but because you won, you'll be placed differently in the tournament line-up than if you had lost, so winning that last match is still important."

"Right," Misaki said. "Um, Miss Haru? Won't it be difficult for you to be Mister Mihara's Second if you're a Deus as well?"

Haru shrugged. "It won't be exactly easy," she admitted. "But we'll be working hard together, so it's not so bad. I'm not sure what I'll do if Ohjiro-kun and I end up having to face each other again though. I mean, it's not likely we will, since we already battled in the Kansai finals, so the organisers will arrange things so we don't face each other quickly, but it _is_ still possible."

"If that happened, neither of you would have a Second!" Misaki realised, eyes wide.

Haru chuckled. "Oh, we would," Haru assured the girl. "I just don't know who that Second would be. Originally, I wanted my mother to be my Second."

"Your... mother," Misaki repeated softly.

Haru nodded. "Mama made Baron's clothes, and helped me figure out the best ways to practice. Right from the beginning, Mama has been at my side. But, she has to work, so she's only going to get to see the Games on TV," she explained. "Having a second person who can step up to be your Second if something happens is good sense, but often much harder than finding a Second in the first place, just because you're having to find them in an emergency."

"A second... Second," Misaki said softly. "Um... Miss Haru? Would you be my second Second?" Misaki asked.

Haru blinked, then laughed. "In the highly unlikely event that something happens to Kobayashi-chan, and I'm not your opponent, then I'd be delighted to be your Second," she agreed.

Misaki blushed. "Hatoko-chan hasn't agreed to be my Second yet," she reminded the older girl softly.

"Hmm, _yet_ ," Haru said with a smile. "And will you be my second Second, if I have to fight Ohjiro-kun?" she asked.

"Ha-hai!" Misaki answered with a bright smile. "I'd be _honoured_!"

"Wonderful!" Haru cheered happily. "What do you think Baron?" Haru asked over her shoulder.

Misaki turned as well to look at their angels, and blinked in confusion. "Is that how you sat your angel?" she asked, privately thinking that it was an odd pose.

Haru smiled. "I'll tell you a secret Misaki-chan," Haru whispered. "I think that Baron actually _can_ move off the layer, all by himself."

"What?!" Misaki yelped.

"Well, if you treat someone in a certain way, they start to act in a certain way as well, right? Mama and I have always treated Baron as though he were alive. He was bound to pick up on that and start acting like he was alive too at some point, right?" Haru suggested with a smile. "Of course, it takes time. Baron and I have been together for three years."

"Three years?!" Misaki exclaimed, eyes wide.

Haru nodded. "He's my best friend," she admitted softly, turning back to the cooking after shooting one last smile at where Baron was sitting with Hikaru. "Until I met Ohjiro-kun at the Kobe qualifying games, he was also pretty much my only friend. He knows all my secrets, and he never tells anybody."

Misaki smiled up at Haru, and peeked over her shoulder at Hikaru and Baron one more time before getting back to the cooking again.


	7. Chapter 7

Misaki's friends from her class at school, as well as Hatoko, arrived right at noon. They were surprised to see Haru laying the table when Misaki showed them in though.

"Um... it was... Yoshi... Yoshi..." tried the girl Haru had only met briefly, once.

"Haru Yoshioka," Haru supplied with a smile. "How are you, Kizaki-chan?" she asked, grateful to her father for passing down an excellent memory for names.

"Please, call me Tamayo," she insisted, "and I'm _great_!"

"Kobayashi-kun returned your feelings then?" Haru asked quietly, a sly smile on her face.

Tamayo glowed red with embarrassment.

"Huh? Miss Yoshioka, what did you say to get a reaction like _that_ from Tamayo?" Kotaro asked.

"I asked if you'd responded to Tamayo-chan being in love with you," Haru answered simply.

"What?!" Kotaro yelped. "No way! Tamayo doesn't -"

"I do," Tamayo admitted softly, cutting off Kotaro with those two quiet little words. "Have since we were little."

Kotaro blinked, and then blushed brightly.

"Boys are so slow," Hatoko declared with an air of superiority.

Haru sighed, and wrapped an arm around Tamayo comfortingly. "Okay, so the boy had you so firmly in the 'friend' category that you didn't even have a gender. Now he knows better and is going to need some time to process," she said quietly. "Give him some space to think."

Tamayo nodded silently, still blushing.

"Misaki-chan, you had something you wanted to ask Kobayashi-chan, didn't you?" Haru asked, changing the topic so that the other two twelve-year-olds could have a chance to get past the awkward, unintended confession and back into the swing of the party.

Misaki nodded. "Hatoko-chan, will you be my Second?" she asked seriously.

Hatoko smiled, and her eyes misted over. "I will," she agreed happily.

"Oh thank you Hatoko-chan!" Misaki cheered, and hugged the five-year-old. "Miss Haru said you'd say yes! I'm so glad!"

"Now that's settled, let's get on with the party," Shoko suggested happily.

Then the doorbell rang again.

"Who could that be?" Misaki wondered.

"I'll get it," Shoko offered.

It was Ringo, and she'd brought a lot of her merchandise to gift to Misaki for congratulations for winning. She also had a hamster under her hat, called Misataro, who she'd brought along to 'introduce to Misaki'.

That introduction was only just completed when the doorbell rang again, and this time it was Sai and Kaede at the door, who had also come to congratulate Misaki, and celebrate with her. They were closely followed by Ohjiro, who came bearing flowers.

"Oho! A bouquet of roses!" Tamayo said when she saw them, impressed. "Nice going Mr Young Nobleman!"

"The roses are actually for Haru-chan," Ohjiro admitted with a blush.

"For Miss Haru?" Tomaryo echoed, confused. "How did you know she'd be here?"

"Because I invited both of them at the same time," Shoko answered the girl with a smile.

"Thank you Ohjiro-kun," Haru said as she accepted the bouquet. "But you didn't need to."

"I know that, but you didn't do anything to celebrate winning the Kansai Games," he reminded her firmly. "Besides, I wanted to. For Suzuhara-chan, I have _these_ ," Ohjiro said, and produced a second bouquet, this time of gerberas in cheerful pink, orange and yellow.

"Didn't forget all the magic tricks you learned when you were younger, I see," Haru quipped softly, a smile on her face. After all, it wasn't like Ohjiro really had anywhere to hide that second bouquet.

"Flowers are a very conventional gift for a girl," Kaede remarked.

"They're good, because they don't last," Sai said.

"That's good?" Kotaro asked, confused.

"There's someone you want to give some to, huh?" Ringo suggested slyly.

"That's -!" Kotaro began to object, then blushed and gave up.

"While we're on the subject of gifts, I've got one for Misaki as well," Hatoko said, and excused herself to fetch it.

"Ah, Suzuhara-chan?" Ohjiro said as Hatoko left the room. "I heard you haven't chosen your Second yet. Is that true?"

"I'll be her Second!" Ringo declared happily before Misaki could answer.

"Oh, thank you Miss Ringo," Misaki said, smiling weakly, "but I had just asked Hatoko-chan before you arrived."

"Oh darn," Ringo sagged.

"Besides, aren't you too busy being an idol to be someone's Second?" Kotaro asked curiously.

"I kept my schedule open because I intend to go to the National Games anyway," Ringo explained with a smile, and shrugged helplessly. "Well then Misaki-chi, at least I can be the president of your fan club, and I'll get to see you and Hatoko-chan shoot for the stars together!"

"And we'll reach them," Hatoko said firmly when she returned. "I've gone over every one of Hikaru's fights," she said as she re-took her seat and passed her gift across to Misaki – a laptop computer.

"She's been working hard on that," Kotaro commented with a smile.

Ohjiro leant across to look at the screen, and saw a diagram of Hikaru. "Very nice work," he praised. "Oh, Haru-chan, could I borrow you? I have one more thing to bring in. It's only on loan from my brother, but I thought we'd be able to have some fun with it," he said.

Haru nodded. "Sure," she agreed, and stood.

"We'll be right back," Ohjiro promised the group.

~oOo~

Ohjiro led Haru out to a car that was parked just out the front of the house.

"You didn't drive," Haru said flatly.

Ohjiro shook his head. "Ogata drove me," he admitted with a smile. "Then he caught the bus and is going to do whatever it is he does on a Sunday afternoon, and will come back about dinner time. We'll give you a ride back too, if you like. We are going to the same place after all, aren't we?"

Haru nodded. "I'd appreciate that," she admitted. "I just dropped my bag at Ichiro-san's when I got off the train, and then came here this morning."

Ohjiro smiled. "The surprise is in the back," he said, and pulled the car key out of his pocket.

When he opened the boot, Haru stared.

"Please tell me this is going to be available in the shops soon," Haru breathed out in a rush.

Ohjiro chuckled. "Not before the National Games are over," he answered apologetically. "But it's Ichiro's anyway, so we'll be able to use it any time."

Haru beamed. "Alright, then let's get this up those stairs!" she cheered.

When they returned to the party, Kaede and Blanche were doing a bit of a show.

"Alright Blanche, do you know what 'Deus' is?" Kaede asked her angel.

"Of course," she answered in a little voice – and Kaede proved to be quite good at ventriloquism, even if Blanche's mouth wasn't moving either. "Those are the things you wear on your feet!"

"Those are _shoes_ , Blanche," Kaede corrected in her normal voice.

"Honk honk," 'Blanche' said, and Kaede made her arm move in an impression of a bird's head on a long neck.

"That's a _goose_ ," Kaede said, a hint of despair in her tone, and then shifted Blanche into a disco-dance pose.

"Let's get groovy tonight baby!"

"That's cutting _loose_ ," Kaede said, a hint of her own laughter finally burbling over as the laughter of those around her built and infected her as well.

When they stopped applauding Kaede, they noticed Ohjiro and Haru – and the thing they were carrying.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sai asked softly, sounding just as awed as Haru had been when she first saw it.

"It's a miniature layer," Ohjiro answered, and he and Haru carried it over to an open space of floor and set it down. "It's not large enough to have proper battles on, so the development team aren't sure how well it will sell. My brother agreed to let me borrow it for today though."

As soon as it was set down, plugged into the power, and turned on, Haru was quick to grab one of the head-sets, a grin on her face as she pulled it over her head with one hand, and picked up Baron from where he'd been sitting on the table with the other.

"Someone's eager," Ringo commented with a giggle.

Haru set Baron down on the layer gently, and he turned to the girls.

"Excuse me," Haru said, putting on a deeper voice with an English accent, and everybody watching saw Baron's mouth move in a way that matched the words Haru spoke.

"But would one of you ladies care to dance?" he asked, removing his top hat and bowing slightly to them all.

"Oh! Me me me!" Ringo cried happily, and scooped up Ranga. "We _love_ to dance!"

Baron replaced his top hat, and extended a hand to Ranga when she landed on the layer.

Haru started humming a waltz, and Baron did his best to lead Ranga around the small layer. His efforts were compromised by the fact that, while Ranga might be a good solo dancer, she wasn't so good at following where a partner led.

Still, their efforts were applauded when Ranga finally tripped both of them up badly enough that she sent _herself_ flying out of the layer. Baron managed to catch himself.

"Having a tail for extra balance is really quite useful," Haru said in her 'Baron voice', as Baron's mouth moved in time with her words and he dusted himself off with a tiny kerchief he kept in the breast pocket of his tailcoat.

Ringo giggled as she pulled off the headset and picked up Ranga. "That was fun," she declared happily. "Thank you for the dance, Baron, Yoshioka-chan!"

Haru nodded, and Baron bowed to Ringo from the layer.

"Looks like dancing on the layer isn't so great an idea," Tamayo quipped with a chuckle. "It's a fighting-only area!"

"Really?" Haru asked archly. "Misaki-chan, would you be kind enough to put on the CD Ringo-san gave you?"

"Uh, sure," Misaki agreed, and fished out the disc from her pile of gifts.

"This should be interesting," Ohjiro remarked, and moved to take Ringo's place on the other side of the small layer. He pulled on the headset and put Wizard on the layer just as Misaki pressed the play button on the CD player. "Same as the first time?" he asked.

Haru blinked in surprise, then smiled brightly. "Sure!" she agreed. "I'll keep it simple though," she promised as Baron removed his top hat and held it up for Haru to take from him.

Then he started dancing.

"What kind of dancing is that?" Kotaro asked softly, eyes wide as he watched how quickly the Baron's feet flicked around.

"Some of them are tap steps," Haru answered, a content smile on her face, "some are soft-shoe steps, some are samba steps, and some are jazz. There's even a couple of capoeira steps in there. I studied a lot of dance when I was getting to know Baron."

"Do _you_ dance as well, Miss Yoshioka?" Tamayo asked curiously.

"A little," Haru said, "but not nearly as well as Baron, so I mostly leave it to him," she added as the Baron stepped out a neat grape-vine in time with the beat before spinning tightly, the tails of his coat, as well as his own tail, flying out behind him.

Wizard copied the movements. It wasn't as tight and tidy as Baron's steps, but they were on the beat all the same.

"How to you feel about trying a high kick?" Haru asked.

"How high?" Ohjiro queried.

Baron smoothly brought his leg up, perfectly straight, until it was pressed against his cheek, his toe pointed above his head, before he brought it back down and did a nice, wide, easy travelling step.

"That's one flexible angel," Hatoko observed softly as Wizard attempted to mimic the move, but couldn't quite get his leg up _that_ straight. "Aren't the speed and flexibility parameters supposed to be related?"

"Baron is fairly fast, but he isn't like Hikaru," Haru answered. "If you look at angels in terms of design emphasis, then Hikaru is speed emphasised. Baron, on the other hand, is _flexibility_ emphasised. He's strong and fast, but they're not the most important things. After all, speed and strength only get you so far. Isn't that right?" she asked, and looked over at Sai and Kaede.

"Yes," Sai agreed softly, while Kaede nodded silently. "Yes, I've learned that very recently."

"What do you think is the most important thing for an angel to have, Miss Yoshioka?" Shoko asked with a smile, then blinked. "Oh, could I have an interview with you some time and ask you that again?" she requested.

Haru laughed, and Baron flipped into a handstand before flipping out of it again, twirling before he landed on the layer.

"Sure," she agreed. "That will give me time to figure out how to actually answer you."

"You... don't know?" Misaki asked, surprised. "But you won at Kansai and you've been playing Angelic Layer for so long!"

Haru smiled at Misaki while Wizard took his turn trying to replicate the moves Baron had performed. "There are lots of things that are important for an angel to have," she said. "But figuring out the _one_ thing that's the _most_ important? That's a lot harder, and it's probably different for each angle, just like it's different for every person, because angels are all as different as the people who make them."

"Oh," Misaki answered softly.

The song ended, and the doorbell rang.

Shoko went to answer it while everybody else applauded the performance. The doorbell rang again a while later, and Shoko hadn't come back, so Misaki went to answer it. When she came back, it was with a lot more people.

Haru laughed. "It's a good thing we still have so much food," she commented lightly. "Now, who wants to try my special tea?"

"I'm game," Ohjiro answered.

"It's a bit different every time," Haru said as she poured, "so I can't guarantee the flavour. It's generally pretty good though."

Ohjiro took a tentative first sip. "Delicious," he proclaimed, and happily drank some more down.

Haru smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

The morning of the finals had arrived, and the atmosphere around the stadium was intense – joyfully so for those who had come to watch, but just straight-up intense for those who were soon to compete.

"Will all Deuses please gather around the layer immediately!" one of the staff for the event called into the waiting area – just as Haru and Ohjiro entered it.

One little girl remained still as the other people in the room started moving, looking around herself nervously. Haru pointed her out to Ohjiro, and the pair shared a smile before going over to her.

Haru lay a hand on Misaki's shoulder, and the girl snapped her head around to see who it was.

"Oh, Miss Haru! And Mister Ohjiro!" she exclaimed.

"Are you alright, Misaki-chan?" Haru asked gently.

"I can't find Hatoko," Misaki answered.

"She knows how the Nationals work," Ohjiro said with a smile. "She'll be here."

"I'm just... so nervous," Misaki admitted quietly.

"That's perfectly normal," Haru said, and nudged Misaki gently into walking in the same direction as all the other Deuses. "And it's a good thing too," she added with a smile.

"A... good thing?" Misaki repeated, unsure and a little incredulous.

Haru nodded. "When you're nervous, you pay extra-close attention, so you don't mess up, right?" she pointed out with a smile.

"Uh... right..." Misaki allowed. "It's just... you seem so calm."

"Well, I've got Baron with me," Haru pointed out, and gestured to where Baron was sitting, as was usual, on her shoulder with one hand threaded through her hair to make sure he didn't slip from her shoulder. "I trust him, and I believe in myself as well. We have nothing to be afraid of."

"Baron... is wearing different clothes," Misaki noted with a surprised blink.

Haru laughed. "Mama made Baron a set of clothes to wear when he's training and fighting, as well as the fine suit that you've seen him in, which is for when he's relaxing," she explained.

"Here we go," Ohjiro said with a smile. "We're almost at the arena, and look," he added, pointing ahead of them. "There's Hatoko-san."

"Misaki! Over here!" Hatoko called, waving.

"Hatoko!" Misaki answered. "Thank you Miss Haru, Mister Ohjiro."

"Take care of Misaki-chan, okay Hatoko?" Haru requested.

Hatoko nodded. "You can count on me!"

"And take care of yourself too," Haru added firmly.

Hatoko smiled. "I will," she promised.

~oOo~

After the opening ceremony and Athena's impressive (if slightly late) entrance, those who weren't required to remain at the layer for the first battle went to find somewhere to either prepare for their battles, or watch.

Haru linked her arm through Ohjiro's, an action strategically designed to fend off his groupies, set Baron on the shoulder opposite, and walked with him until they found a good vantage point to watch the match from.

Sai was competing in the first match, and she was always impressive to watch. Her opponent, Tsubasa McEnzie, who won the Kyushu Games with her angel Eagle, was no slouch either. At this level, that was to be expected though.

"Now _that_ is a fight to open the National Games," Haru said, a smile on her face.

"Agreed," Ohjiro said with a smirk of his own. "It definitely makes a statement."

Then Suzuka pointed to the chair used exclusively by the champion.

"So does that," Haru commented wryly. "Well, break time. Grab a snack, then come back."

Ohjiro nodded, and they headed for one of the places around the stadium where they could get something to eat. They wouldn't be done in time to watch the next match, but there was a TV screen broadcasting Athena's match, so they didn't have to miss it.

Ohjiro's phone went off in his pocket just as they were finishing their meal – and the match was declared over.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Uh-huh," he agreed. "No problem. Mind if I bring a friend? Great," he said, a smile on his face, and hung up again.

"What's up?" Haru asked.

"A lightning storm has started up, so Ichiro needs all hands in the control room, but it seems the champ was a bit irresponsible last night, and needs a baby-sitter," Ohjiro explained, and stood from his seat. "I've been asked to escort her up to one of the private viewing boxes and keep an eye on her there while she watches the next match. Want to meet the champion?" he asked, and offered her his hand.

Haru smiled and slipped her hand into his.

Ohjiro tugged her up out of her seat, and then slipped her arm into his so that he could escort her like a gentleman to where he would be collecting the champion from.

"Ohjiro," Shuko greeted, surprise in her voice, when they found her. "And..."

"Haru Yoshioka," Ohjiro presented.

"Oh! This year's winner from Kansai," Shuko said, a smile lighting up her face. "I didn't get to see that fight, but well done. Ohjiro's not easy to beat."

"Not that you've ever had any trouble with that," Ohjiro commented with false cheer. "Still, that will change this year," he promised.

"And all your fans will go even _more_ crazy for you," Haru teased, poking him in the cheek. "And the poor young nobleman is too much of a gentleman to do the _sensible_ thing and just turn them away before he gets mobbed."

Ohjiro winced. "I really can't _wait_ for when _you_ get a nickname and hordes of fans," he said, "so then I can tease you about them the way you tease me. Miss Shuko, could we please hide with you in one of the viewing boxes?" he requested.

Shuko laughed lightly. "Sure," she agreed with a smile. "If we hurry, we should make it there in time for the next match."

The next match was Misaki's.

Hikaru, the small, lightweight angel, was suffering from not being able to get close to her opponent, a much taller angel that had a much more impressive reach. And Shuko was smiling.

"You're enjoying this?" Ohjiro asked Shuko curiously.

"It's because I believe that Misaki will win," Shuko answered simply, the smile not leaving her face, and her eyes not leaving the layer.

"You mean as her mother," Ohjiro said with a smirk.

"Oh no," Shuko corrected. "I mean as her _rival_."

"Hush, both of you," Haru scolded quietly, though she was smiling as well. "The techniques they're using are far too interesting to be bothered with such a trivial thing as laying bets on who'll win."

Ohjiro and Shuko chuckled softly as Hikaru was trapped in an interesting technique, and then hit just before the buzzer declaring the end of the first round.

In the second round, the layer's simulated weather started to reflect the thunderstorm that had rolled in outside. It stabilised, but the clear blue sky didn't return, which meant that the team up in the control room were under some stress, trying to get things back to normal – and they had a very limited amount of time to fix it for the third round.

The ship started to vanish when Elaine, Hikaru's opponent, tried to repeat the same move she'd used in the first round, but Hikaru came to Elaine's rescue before she could fall into the water – which would have counted as a layer-out, though also as a cheap, almost false win. The ship was restored, the bad weather on the layer began to clear, the fight resumed, and Hikaru got a _legitimate_ win when she forced Elaine over the side of the ship and into the water with a kick to the head.

"Misaki," Shuko breathed, proud of her daughter.

"She did a good job," Haru said approvingly.

"And so did... my big brother Ichiro," Ohjiro added, just as proud of his brother as Shuko was of her daughter.

"Yes," Shuko agreed softly.

Haru sighed and stood straight. "Well, time to see if we can slip past the masses," she declared as she squared her shoulders. "Misaki-chan's was the last fight today, but I'm fighting the first match tomorrow, and then Ohjiro-kun gets to fight the match immediately following."

"Good luck," Shuko bid them both with a smile. "I look forward to watching your fights."

~oOo~

Haru settled into the chair while Ohjiro got comfortable in the station set up for the Seconds and ran a quick diagnostic on Baron – to get a baseline, rather than because he needed to be checked at this point.

"Ready?" Haru asked with a slightly nervous smile. It was _her_ first battle on the national arena as well after all, and like she'd told Misaki, nerves were _normal_ in this sort of situation.

"Ready," Ohjiro confirmed with a confident smile as he passed Baron across to her. "And waiting to hear what nickname they'll give you," he added. "You're in the Nationals, it's just about compulsory that you have one."

"In the East Corner!"called out the announcer. "She put on an impressive display at the Kyushu Games with her angel Ino, it's Kaho 'The Oni Onna' Tachibana!"

Haru wince. That was _not_ a nice nickname. Really, 'the ogre woman'?

"She's earned the title," Ohjiro remarked softly into Haru's headset. "Where Jounouchi-san is simply cool, Tachibana-san is unpleasant. Ino isn't all that nice either."

Haru winced again. To get such censure from Ohjiro of all people...

"And in the West Corner! She unseated the Layer's Young Nobleman Ohjiro Mihara as the champion of the Kansai Games even though this is her first venture onto Angelic Layer's professional scene. It's the Fair Maiden of the Layer, Haru Yoshioka! And her angel, Baron!"

"Well, I was close," Ohjiro said with a soft chuckle. "You're a princess in my book though."

Haru sighed a little. Considering she'd been offered the paw of the Cat Prince in marriage, she'd just as soon avoid that title for a while more. In all honesty though, she could handle being a princess to Ohjiro much better than being a princess to the kingdom of cats.

While the host had been speaking, the setting for the battle had been cycling until it picked one at random. The scene for the battle was a marshland.

"And now, enter the angels!"

"Crush all who stand before us Ino!" Kaho yelled as the threw her angel onto the layer. "The angel descends!"

Ino made quite a splash too, when she landed in a muddy part of the marsh.

"The time is now, Baron," Haru called, and let him launch from the back of her hand gracefully, coming to life with a golden glow as he crossed over onto the layer. "The angel descends."

Baron twisted elegantly in the air and landed lightly on one of the fallen tree-trunks that were scattered around the marsh, avoiding the muddy fate of his opponent.

"Angelic fight!"

Kicking up mud the whole way, Ino charged the Baron. She was a heavyweight, and speed wasn't something she had a great emphasis in. Coupled with the fact that she was running around shin-deep in mud, and her approach was slow.

"She's going to be difficult to send out of the layer," Ohjiro told Haru. "Between her weight and the sucking mud."

"And what is Baron standing on?" Haru countered with a smile. "And where is he standing?

"The end of a tree near the edge... Oh, very clever Haru," Ohjiro said, chuckling. "She has to leave the mud to run up the smooth tree before she can reach you, if she really is going to keep charging you."

"And then I'll have extra leverage by letting Baron slip down while he pulls her over his head," Haru added, as Ino fell into Haru's expectations perfectly, and Baron calmly slipped off the log onto a tuft of grass, grabbed the front of Ino's shirt as well as the arm that had just attempted to hit him, and made use of Ino's own momentum to send her the short rest of the way off the layer.

"Baron wins!" came the announcement. "Incredible! Tactical manoeuvring on the part of Haru Yoshioka from the moment Baron entered the layer made for one of the fastest wins we've seen in the National games since Speedy Suzuka competed last year!"

On the other side of the layer, Kaho Tachibana did _not_ look happy with that result. She didn't _sound_ happy either, and the way she was yelling, most of the stadium could hear her foul language.

Ohjiro collected Baron from the layer, and Haru climbed out of the Deus' chair.

"Tag," she said to Ohjiro as she reclaimed Baron from him, a smile on her face. "Your turn."

Ohjiro chuckled. "We've got to wait for my opponent to get here first," he pointed out.

His opponent, when she arrived, was the _champion_ of the Kyushu Games, where Kaho had only been runner-up. Tohru Hanatami and her angel Uo-chan fought well against Wizard in the Meiji Shrine setting... right up until, in the third round, they tried an aerial attack near the edge of the layer and bounced off Magic Guard... and out of the layer.

"Wizard wins! Yet another victory goes to the Ohjiro Mihara, the Layer's Young Nobleman!"

"Not showing off all your magic tricks straight away I see," Haru noted dryly as she collected Wizard from the layer and ran final checks on him, making sure he wasn't seriously damaged after the third round of the fight. "Well, apart from a slightly battered coat from when you were fighting before you used Magic Guard, and possibly a bruise or two beneath, Wizard is fine."

"New coat and replace some of his outer skin," Ohjiro translated to himself as the chair lowered to ground-level.

Haru nodded. "It will take a moment for the next pair of fighters to get here, so I'll have time to deal with those bruises now. You're going to have to fix the wardrobe issue yourself though," she said, a teasing smile touching her lips as she got started.

Ohjiro smiled back. "Arigato," he said softly, and leant over to kiss her cheek while she fixed Wizard's outer skin.

"Please don't do that while I'm trying to fix up your angel," Haru requested weakly as a blush rose on her cheeks. "I don't want to make a mistake."

Ohjiro chuckled. "Sumimasen," he apologised. It was a less than completely sincere apology.


	9. Chapter 9

It was the first day of round two, the number of competitors had been cut in half, and then had one added to it – the second round had a spot reserved for a special guest representative of the Angelic Layer Company – and Haru and Ohjiro were only absently listening to the announcement as they scanned the already gathered crowd of people for familiar faces.

"There's Hatoko-chan," Haru said softly.

"That's _someone_ to say hello to then," Ohjiro agreed. "It might draw even more fans, but there's strength in numbers, right?" he suggested.

Haru rolled her eyes at Ohjiro's exaggerated fear of groupies, and linked her arm with his before heading over to the kindergartner.

"Konnichiwa, Hatoko-chan," Haru greeted with a smile.

"Konnichiwa," Ohjiro agreed.

Hatoko looked up, blinked, and quietly answered, "Konnichiwa."

Haru's smile slipped away and she crouched down in front of the younger girl. "Hatoko-chan, are you feeling well? Your face is very red," she said gently.

"I'm fine," Hatoko answered softly.

Haru frowned and gently slipped a hand beneath Hatoko's fringe to rest against her brow, at the same time lifting her other hand to her own forehead. "You're not fine," Haru informed the little girl firmly as she lowered her hands again. "You have a fever."

"You what?!"

Haru and Ohjiro turned to the person who'd spoken, but it was Ohjiro who spoke.

"Konnichiwa, Kotaro-san," Ohjiro greeted the newcomer softly. "Is Misaki-chan here yet?"

"I haven't seen her anywhere yet," Kotaro answered with a shake of his head before he turned to Haru. "What did you say about my little sister having a fever?"

Haru sighed and stood up. "I'm no professional doctor, but she's too warm," she answered. "What did I say about looking after _yourself_ as well?" she asked the little girl pointedly.

"Sumimasen," Hatoko said softly.

Kotaro frowned. "You've been off since you woke up this morning," he said to his little sister. "It might be -"

"Ah!"

"Oh, there's Misaki-chan now," Ohjiro said, clearly suppressing chuckles as he turned in the direction of the surprised yelp.

"Oh Misaki-chi," Tamayo lamented. "How can you fall down when there aren't any obstacles?" she asked, and picked up Misaki's dropped school bag before offering a hand to her friend to help her up off the floor.

"I'm just too uncoordinated," Misaki said sheepishly.

"Over here Misaki-chan, Tamayo-chan!" Haru called, and waved to the two girls.

"Miss Haru!" both girls answered happily, and hurried over to where the little group was gathered.  
"For the second round of the National Games, the first match-up is," the host announced on the TV screen as the girls rushed past. "Representing the Kanto area, Misaki Suzuhara! And, from the Angelic Layer Company's development department, Ruyji Inada!"

Misaki's head snapped around just as she'd been about to give greetings, and her eyes fixed on the screen that proclaimed _hers_ to be the first match of the day.

"No way! You have to fight the guys who _make_ the angels?" Tamayo demanded, unhappy with this new development. "How is that even _possible_?!" She was taking out her frustration on Kotaro, shaking him by the collar of his jacket, without even realising it.

"It happens every year," Kotaro said once he'd wrestled himself free and a blush had overtaken both his face _and_ Tamayo's. It seemed they weren't yet up to being completely certain of how to react to each other now that they knew there were other feelings involved. "Sometimes the special spot goes to someone from overseas, sometimes it goes to someone from the company."

"Since they helped build the angels, I imagine... they're very good..." Misaki said, clearly worried.

"You'll be fine, Misaki-chi!" Tamayo insisted. "Just fight like you always do! Besides, you've also got Hatoko-chan on your side remember?"

"Actually," Kotaro said, a nervous smile on his face as he lay a hand on his little sister's shoulder.

"It looks like I jinxed you, Misaki-chan," Haru cut in, apologetic.

"What?" Tamayo asked. "Jinxed? How? When?"

"Before Misaki-chan's party when she asked Hatoko-chan to be her Second, we were talking about how I might need a second Second, if Ohjiro-kun and I end up having to face each other," Haru explained. "And Misaki-chan and I both agreed to be each other's second Second if it was needed for any reason, and provided we weren't going to have to battle each other."

Misaki blinked as she recalled that conversation, and then nodded. "I remember," she said. "Why do you think that jinxed me though?"

"Hatoko's got a fever," Kotaro answered for Haru. "I'm going to take her to the medical station here, and then probably home. I wouldn't have brought her here at all, if I'd known she was sick," he added, and looked down at where Hatoko was still sitting. "And there's proof she's sick," he said, and shook his head. "If she were well, she would have objected by now. I'm sorry I can't stay and cheer for you."

Misaki shook her head firmly. "You just worry about Hatoko," she said. "That's what's _really_ important. Angelic Layer is a great game, and I wouldn't like to have to leave the Nationals yet, but it's still just a game. I couldn't put a game over the health of a friend."

"Besides, you have a contingency plan," Haru added as she lay a hand on Misaki's shoulder gently.

Misaki looked up at her, smiled slightly, and nodded. "That's right," she agreed softly.

"Well then, Kizaki-chan, may I escort you to the stands?" Ohjiro offered as he turned to Tamayo.

"Sure," Tamayo agreed. "We can cheer for Misaki-chi and Hikaru together!"

"Just don't use any of those moves of yours on Ohjiro-kun," Haru warned with a smile. "Young noblemen are reputedly much more delicate than their karate-practising counterparts."

"I promise," Tamayo agreed with a snicker.

Ohjiro rolled his eyes, kissed Haru's cheek – which made her blush – and then offered his arm to Tamayo.

The group of six split up in pairs then. Kotaro took Hatoko to the medical station, Ohjiro escorted Tamayo to the stands, and Haru went with Misaki to the arena so that they could start preparing for the fight.

~oOo~

"Sorry for the delay folks!" the host called over the crowds. "There were a few last-minute change ups. In the East Corner is Misaki Suzuhara and her angel, Hikaru! And the West Corner is Ryuji Inada from the Angelic Layer Company, with a new angel model, S.I. One-Seventy-Four! It's scheduled to go on sale next season," he informed the crowds.

"Now, before we get started, I'm sure you'd all like to know the reason for the delays," he continued. "In the East Corner: Misaki Suzuhara's Second, Hatoko Kobayashi, has come down with a fever. Standing in for Hatoko Kobayashi is the Fair Maiden of the Layer, Haru Yoshioka. In the West Corner: Ryuji Inada's Second was to be his wife, but it seems there was a minor emergency at their son's school, so the creator of Angelic Layer _himself_ has agreed to step up to the plate! That's right folks, the Father of Angelic Layer, Ichiro Mihara is the Second in the West Corner!"

The crowd roared.

The level of excitement in the stadium had suddenly rocketed with that announcement. It was almost surprising that the roof stayed attached.

"Mr Icchan?" Misaki said weakly. "He's the father of Angelic Layer?"

"Ichiro-san is also Ohjiro-kuns' older brother," Haru said.

"No way! I had... no idea!"

Haru chuckled. "Hai," she answered. "How else did you think Ohjiro-kun got the smaller layer he brought to your party? It wasn't released in the shops yet, and he _did_ say he borrowed it from his brother."

"He did," Misaki said softly. "Miss Haru? I don't know if I'll be able to fight my best today," she admitted, looking away from her competition down to where Haru was standing in the Second's booth. "But I really am grateful that you're here."

"Hey," Haru said. "Of _course_ you can fight your best," she reassured the girl with a smile. "And so can Hikaru. You're here because you fought hard, and because you _want_ to be. Take a look at Inada-san. He _doesn't_ want to be here. Don't worry about who his Second is. You're not fighting Ichiro-san. You're fighting Inada-san. Be confident, Misaki-chan."

Misaki looked across the arena, and _just_ managed to see how uncomfortable her opponent was before the smoke machines obscured the layer while the setting was loaded.

When the smoke cleared, the scene revealed was a set of ruins left by the Roman Empire.

"And now, enter the angels!"

"Confident," Misaki said softly to herself. "Angel wings! Please guide me and Hikaru!" she yelled, and threw Hikaru onto the layer. "The angel descends!"

Inada banged his head against the top of the chair when he stood to throw in the angel. "Go, the new-type angel, S.I. One-Seven-Four!" he called out, and threw in the angel.

Haru chuckled when the angel touched down. "Even on the layer, that angel has no expression. No soul, not even any sense of style," she commented. "Now really Misaki-chan, you're worried about fighting _that_?"

Misaki giggled, her spirits bolstered by Haru's little pep-talk, and she relaxed.

"Let's have an angelic fight!"

Straight away, the nameless angel got into a wide fighting pose.

Hikaru remained still, calm, relaxed, eyes closed even. _She_ wasn't worried about the fight. She didn't even bother opening her eyes until her opponent was right in her face. Even though it was her opponent that had charged, it was still Hikaru who threw the first punch.

It missed.

The angel moved only enough to avoid the hit, and no more than that.

When Hikaru jumped to bring down her full weight on top of the angel, it stepped back only _just_ enough to avoid it.

"I... can't hit her," Misaki said, concerned.

"Calm down," Haru instructed softly. "You can hit her."

But then the other angel struck, and Hikaru took damage as she was sent into the ground.

"Hikaru!"

"Calm," Haru reminded the younger girl, "and analyse your situation."

"But... Hikaru..." Misaki said softly.

"Is alright," Haru finished firmly. "She's come back and won from worse," she reminded Misaki with a smile. "Now, your opponent is approaching, so get ready."

"Ready for what?" Misaki asked as the host gabbed about the new model.

"To attack of course," Haru said with a smile. "Or dance, if you feel like doing that instead," she added.

"Dance..." Misaki said, her voice soft and thoughtful as Hikaru's opponent walked up to where Hikaru was still lying on the ground. "Dance... like those steps you had Baron do on the layer at the party..."

"Hai," Haru agreed. "But Hikaru has her own steps that suit her much better, ne?"

"Hai!" Misaki answered, and turned back to the fight.

When the opposing angel was almost on top of Hikaru, her legs snapped out. Actually, it _was_ one of the dance moves that Baron had shown off – and one that Wizard hadn't been quite flexible enough to copy. Hikaru abruptly lifted herself off the ground and into a perfect split – the action just so happened to knock the other angel off her feet.

"There's an idea," Haru said softly to herself as the angel went down for a moment.

It got up again, and the two angels continued to fight. Haru analysed the fighting style of the opponent while Misaki and Hikaru did their best to avoid being hit and landing hits of their own until the buzzer sounded the end of the first round.

"I guess... because they make the angels that they would know them better..." Misaki said sadly.

"Pish," Haru dismissed with a wave. "You landed a hit _once_ , didn't you?"

Misaki nodded.

"Then you can do it again. If your opponent can't stand, if she can't stay on balance, then she can't attack as well," Haru said.

"But Hikaru can still attack when she's like that," Misaki said, confused and questioning.

Haru laughed. "Yes, but that's because she's controlled by a little girl who keeps trying no matter what, and who hasn't found the limits of the possible yet," she explained. "Your opponent is an old man who knows the limitations _intimately_. His attacks are _technically_ perfect, but utterly uncreative. That's a good edge for you in this fight."

"Right," Misaki said firmly, determination and a smile back on the girl's face.

Haru smiled. "And you've got an even better edge than that as well," she said as the maintenance platform shut down. "You've got Hikaru, who has a history of not quitting, even when the odds are against her," Haru said as she handed the angel over to Misaki.

Misaki took Hikaru in her hands and looked the doll in the eye.

Those pink eyes stared back, and even though she wasn't on the layer – the place where angels 'came to life' – she still clearly had a resolved expression on her face, and a determined gleam in those eyes.

Misaki nodded. "We'll win," she said firmly.

She did too. Hikaru kept her opponent off-balance, and for a finishing move, she scooped the other angel up onto her shoulders, jumped up to the top of the columns, and then dived backwards into the ground. Her opponent's head made contact first and firmly, and while the other angel bent, Hikaru used her as bit of a springboard to flip again and land on her feet, avoiding being damaged by her own attack.

"Hikaru!" the host declared, breaking the silence that had seized the entire stadium. "She defeated the company's new angel spectacularly!"

Haru collected Hikaru from the layer and ran a last check on her. The clothes were a bit mussed from the fight, but otherwise she was fine.

"Miss Haru!" Misaki called happily as her chair lowered.

"You did it," Haru praised.

"Hai! Arigato!" Misaki answered.

"I didn't do anything," Haru objected with a smile. "It was all you and Hikaru."

"No, you helped me so much," Misaki insisted.

Haru turned to where she'd set Baron on the counter of the station. "Baron, you're an impartial witness. Did Misaki and Hikaru win their fight or did _we_ win their fight?"

The cat features seemed to shift into a silently laughing grin.

"That's what I thought," Haru said with a firm, satisfied nod, and turned back to Misaki. "All you."

Misaki laughed. "Still, thank you for being with me for my fight," she said. "If I didn't have a Second, I would have had to forfeit."

"Okay," Haru allowed with a nod. "I'll grant you that. Now go find your friends and celebrate!" she instructed, and held Hikaru out to the girl.

Misaki accepted her angel with a bright smile. "You're one of my friends Miss Haru," she said. "I couldn't possibly celebrate without you."

"Shall we invite Ichiro-san as well?" Haru suggested softly. "You're friends with him too, aren't you?"

"Mr Icchan," Misaki said, and looked over to where Ichiro and Ryuji were standing. Well, where Ichiro was standing, since whatever he said sent Ryuji running out of the arena in a hurry. "Hai."

"Then it would probably be best to hold off the celebration until all of the second-stage fights are over, since he'll be very busy while the fights are going," Haru pointed out. "Hatoko-chan should be recovered by then as well."

Misaki nodded. "And we'll be able to celebrate you and Mr Ohjiro winning your fights too," she said happily.

Haru smiled back. "Provided we win," she pointed out.

"You will," Misaki insisted brightly. "You and the Baron are really good. I'm sure you'll win! And Mister Ohjiro too!"


	10. Chapter 10

Haru smiled at her opponent as the chairs moved towards the layer, which was covered with a bamboo forest.

"Hello Sai-san," she greeted.

"Hello Haru-san," Sai answered, and smiled slightly. "I wasn't expecting to have to fight you."

"No," Haru agreed. "But we'll have a good, fun fight, right?"

Sai nodded. "Right," she agreed. "Let the silver snow fall! Dance, Shirahime!"

"The time is now, Baron!"

"Hey, I didn't even call to enter the angels yet!" the host objected. "Oh well. Angelic fight!"

Baron removed his cloak, broke a bamboo stalk, and effectively hung his cloak on the part that was left. He drew his feet together, tucked one arm behind his back, and held out the other, fingers upward and palm facing himself.

Sai smirked. "Alright," she agreed, and Shirahime smashed a bamboo stalk to her right, and lay her kimono over it.

"Woah-ho! This fight is looking serious from the get-go! Both angels have removed their outer-layer of clothing for easier movement!"

And Shirahime charged.

Baron dodged the strike, and leapt up onto one of the bamboo stalks.

"That shouldn't hold his weight," Ohjiro commented, surprised.

"Haven't you ever seen _House of Flying Daggers_? Or _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_?" Haru asked with a giggle. "Of course it can! Have you forgotten the details of the battle between Hikaru and Blanche? It would almost certainly hold Shirahime's weight too, if she was game enough to test it."

Shirahime wasn't though. It started to look a little bit like the opening fight between Shirahime and Eagle, with Shirahime on the ground and Baron flitting between the higher reaches of the bamboo, just like the people in the two movies Haru had mentioned to Ohjiro. Baron worked his way up and down the bamboo stalks as he moved around the layer, a smile on his face as he kept Shirahime in sight at all times.  
Shirahime closed on Baron, who was lower on the bamboo than he had been since the start of the match, and Haru smiled.

Baron gripped the bamboo with both hands and swung around. His feet connected with Shirahime's torso as he completed the spin, and sent her into the ground.

The buzzer sounded the end of the round as Baron touched down on the ground once more.

"You can't win just by avoiding her attacks, Haru-chan," Ohjiro scolded as she came down for the between-round-chat.

"I know that," Haru answered easily. "But so far Baron hasn't taken any damage, and he's been having fun flirting with Shirahime."

"Wha-?! Flirting?!" Ohjiro yelped. "You like -?!"

Haru giggled. " _Baron_ likes beautiful things," Haru said. Then her cheeks pinked lightly. "I like you. I thought you'd figured that out by now. I wouldn't have let you kiss my cheek the way you've been doing if I didn't."

A deep blush rose on Ohjiro's face. "A-at least you got in a strike," he said, re-focusing on his duties as a Second.

Haru smiled at Ohjiro. He might have been older than her, and quite mature for his age from spending so much time around adults, but sometimes he was still just _such_ a boy. "Mm," she agreed, deciding not to call him on the blush. "Just a playful one. Baron and I want to see if we can draw Shirahime up into the bamboo. It seems we have to go down to try and entice her up."

Ohjiro stared at Haru for a moment, stunned, and then smiled. "You're amazing," he informed Haru, his tone admiring.

Haru blushed, and was saved from having to answer by having to return to the layer for the second round.

~oOo~

"Hello Miss Haru," Shoko greeted with a smile, microphone in her hand and her camera man at her side.

"Miss Shoko," Haru answered with a smile. "How nice to see you."

"Could we have an interview?" Shoko asked.

Haru smiled. "Sure," she answered. "I've got time."

"Well, you _did_ just win your battle," Shoko said. "And you won't have to participate in another until the semi-finals."

Haru shook her head. "I'm Ohjiro-kun's Second," she reminded the woman, and pointed at the boy in question who was approaching the table where she was sitting, a can of cold juice in each hand. "I've got to be back tomorrow for his fight."

"Oh, of course," Shoko agreed, and chuckled lightly. "I forgot."

"Hello Miss Shoko," Ohjiro greeted as he joined them, and passed the can of mandarin juice over to Haru. "Interviewing Haru?"

Shoko nodded.

"I'll go -"

"You'll do nothing of the sort," Haru said firmly, and tugged him down into his chair before pushing one of the two bentos that had been sitting on the table over to him.

Shoko chuckled softly. "Perhaps I could ask you a few questions as well, Mister Mihara?"

Ohjiro nodded. "Alright, sure," he agreed. "But only as long as I'm not taking away from your interview with the Fair Maiden."

"Noble jerk," Haru said softly, a content, slightly teasing smile on her face.

"Can I ask how each of you got into Angelic Layer?" Shoko asked, and held her microphone forward.

"I was walking home after school, actually intent on spending my pocket money, and saw a poster for Angelic Layer in the window of one of the shops. I actually read the small print at the bottom, where it said that all profits and royalties from Angelic Layer would go towards medical research, and that decided me," Haru said with a smile as she remembered that day.

"My brother Ichiro had left some important documents at home, so I had to deliver them to him at his work – and he was working on Angelic Layer at the time," Ohjiro explained. "I met the champion when I was trying to find Ichiro, and she showed me one of the early prototypes. I've been in love with it ever since."

"What's the thing you enjoy most about Angelic Layer?" Shoko asked.

"Oh, that's easy," Haru said with a bright smile as one of her hands moved to stroke Baron's head between his ears. "That it's something without limits."

"Something without limits?" Shoko repeated, confused.

Haru nodded. "Yeah. I know there's a saying that says 'the sky is the limit', but with angelic layer, the sky is more like a glass roof that's just waiting for us to break through it," Haru attempted to explain.

Ohjiro chuckled. "Way to mix your metaphors," he teased.

Haru rolled her eyes. "What I mean is, the angels can do anything we can think of for them to do," Haru said. "And we've seen already how many different things people can think of for their angels to do. There's a lot of things to love about Angelic Layer, but I think that's what I love the most."

Ohjiro smiled softly at Haru. "I think it's what I love the most as well," he agreed.

"I promised to ask you this when I got to interview you Miss Haru," Shoko said, a slight smirk on her face. "What do you think is the most important thing for an angel to have?"

Haru giggled. "You did promise, and I promised to think about it very seriously so that I'd have an answer."

"I remember you saying that it wasn't an easy question," Ohjiro said with a nod.

Haru nodded. "And I've got an answer. I think the most important thing for an angel to have is a personality," Haru decided.

"A personality?" Shoko asked. "Could you explain what you mean by that?"

"Sure," Haru agreed with a nod. "Take a look at Baron and Wizard, and the way they're sitting," she requested. Baron and Wizard were actually sitting in mirrored poses of each other: both sitting with one leg up and the other crossed beneath, one arm hanging from where the elbow rested on the raised knee, and the other supporting the weight of the angels as they leant back.

Then Haru and rearranged Baron so that he was sitting on his knees and ankles, the way most Japanese did when they were sitting on the floor.

"This way of sitting doesn't look right for him," Haru said simply. "And that's because it isn't Baron's style to sit that way. It doesn't suit his personality," she explained, and picked him up. All his limbs straightened with the motion, and then Haru sat him down again. His legs crossed in a tailor-seat, and his hands rested easily and comfortably on his knees while his tail curled up against his back. "But without me having to carefully arrange him, Baron sits _this_ way, and the way you saw before, completely naturally," Haru explained. "Even off the layer, the angels have a life and personality."

"Wow," Shoko said softly, wide eyes blinking at the demonstration.

"We're told that angels come to life on the layer," Ohjiro said softly, "but no one ever said that they stopped living when they left it. It's just sometimes harder to spot."

"What about you, Mister Mihara? What do you think is the most important thing for a _Deus_ to have?" Shoko asked.

"Love," Ohjiro answered, apparently without thinking about it, because he blushed as soon as the word crossed his lips. His eyes darted over to Haru before focusing on Wizard. "A Deus should _love_ their angel. If they do that, then they'll be able to find the personality of their angel more easily, and as Haru already said, a personality is the most important thing for an angel to have."

Shoko smiled. "Fair enough. What about today's battle?" she asked. "It was both surprising and spectacular."

Ohjiro chuckled. "From your point of view," he said, "But for me, the fight today it was a little nerve-wracking," he admitted. "When the second round started, Baron and Shirahime began properly fighting each other, and as they both start racking up the damage points, Haru's voice comes over the comms."

"Yes, I asked you to tell me when I hit the magic number," Haru said, a smile on her face.

"I didn't know what magic number she was talking about," Ohjiro said frankly, "so, of course, I asked for clarification, and she tells me 'fifty point one percent', and we've already seen Blanche and Shirahime demonstrate their hyper-modes, so that was when I knew what Haru was talking about. I'd had no idea until that moment that Baron had come from the first shipment of angel eggs."

"It was certainly something to see," Shoko commented. "The Baron practically put on a light show when he went into hyper-mode."

Haru giggled. "He enjoyed it," she said. "I know that using hyper-mode for an angel has been compared to a human being forced to run one more mile after having just run a marathon, and that it's actually quite painful for the angels that perform it, but as soon as Baron lit up like that... it was like he'd gained a second wind. He just had so much fun _glowing_ as he moved around the layer, he didn't even mind. Still, I don't think we'll make a habit of going into hyper-mode," Haru added, and stroked Baron between his ears again.

"I've just got one more question, and then I'll let you both get to your lunches," Shoko promised.

Ohjiro and Haru nodded in acceptance.

"There are some people who don't approve of Angelic Layer, saying it's a waste of time. What do you say to people like that?" Shoko asked.

Haru sat back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling as she thought about that. "When I got home with my angel egg, creating Baron was something that my mother and I could bond over together," she started, voice soft and thoughtful. "I'd been something of a tomboy as a child, and when my father died I'd tried to be as boyish as possible. Mama wanted me to be more feminine though, and we'd been slowly drifting apart."

Haru looked down from the ceiling to Shoko. "My bringing home a doll that was used in a fighting game was enough of a foot on both sides for me and my Mama to reach across the gap that had been forming between us. Thanks to Baron, we're so close now that I'd say my mother is my best friend," she said.

Ohjiro nodded. "Anglic Layer also broke down the wall between myself and my older step-brother," he agreed. "It helped us to start becoming an actual family."

"Angelic Layer is, at heart, a game. There are always going to be people who think that games are a waste of time, but they forget that games are a place and way to make friends, and bond with loved ones," Haru continued.

"I'm fairly sure I never would have met Haru if it weren't for Angelic Layer," Ohjiro added. "And I certainly wouldn't have gotten to know her the way that I have. I don't think anything that does all the things that Angelic Layer has done for... not just us, but so many other people like us... should ever be called a 'waste of time'."

Shoko smiled at the two teens, thanked them, and ended the interview.


	11. Chapter 11

"Wizard wins!"

"Okay, seriously, what the heck just happened?" Haru asked, one eyebrow raised.

"They... knocked themselves out on Wizard's Magic Guard," Ohjiro answered.

Haru slapped a hand over her face as she hung her head in despair, and sighed. "With as high as they bounced off, they should have been able to twist around and land on their feet, but no, they just landed on their head. How did this person get this far?" she asked as she fetched Wizard off the layer.

Ohjiro shrugged. "Luck in opponents?" he suggested.

"Ugh," Haru groaned. "Whatever. Look, Misaki-chan invited me to go with her, Hatoko-chan, Tamayo-chan and Kotaro-san to celebrate getting through to the semi-finals. Do you want to come as well?" she offered.

"Misaki-chan wouldn't mind?" Ohjiro asked with a smile.

Haru shook her head. "She invited Ichiro-san as well, though he said he couldn't make it. I'm fairly sure she'd be happy for you to come along," she pointed out.

Ohjiro chuckled. "Sure," he agreed. "When and where?"

"Sunday. We're going to spend the day at the beach," Haru answered.

Ohjiro blinked. "The beach on Sunday?" he repeated. "The team, including Shu, have arranged to go to the beach on Sunday."

Haru giggled. "Then you should probably warn Ogata-san about the big secret, so he doesn't blab by mistake," she advised with a smile. "And I'll see you there, since you'll be going with Ichiro-san and the champion."

Ohjiro smirked slightly, an idea forming as he nodded. "Right," he agreed. "I'll see you there."

Haru smiled brightly. "Wonderful!"

~oOo~

"A perfect day for a picnic at the beach," Haru sighed happily as she looked out the window. She had stayed overnight with Shoko and Misaki, along with Tamayo, so that she could help make the lunches. With a shake of her head, she tossed back the covers, rolled up the borrowed futon, and began to make ready for the day.

She dressed quickly, and double-checked her beach-bag. It was really the only thing she'd brought with her, having left the rest of her things in the room Ichiro was letting her stay in at his house while she was in Tokyo.

Baron was set down on the bench beside the breakfast dishes Haru quickly filled with simple, but filling fare. Just like Haru, he was already dressed for the beach, though where Haru was wearing a creamy-yellow sun-dress, he was in a white sailor suit with navy trim and a matching scarf. He even had a captain's hat, with a navy brim and a white crown, perched between his ears. Haru's own floppy white sun hat was sitting on top of her beach bag.

"Oh, Ohayo, Haru-san," Shoko greeted, surprised as she stumbled into the kitchen on her way from her bedroom to the bathroom. "You're up early, and I see you've already made breakfast."

"Hai," Haru agreed. "Just something quick and light. I remember you said last night that you wouldn't have much time to eat this morning, and I expect that Misaki-chan and Tamayo-chan will be a bit too excited to want to eat when they get up. I've also made my special blend of tea, and a pot of coffee."

"Arigato," Shoko said with a truly grateful sigh. "Can I get a thermos of each to take with me to work today?"

Haru nodded. "Sure, if you'll tell me where you keep your thermoses," she answered with a smile.

"Bottom right cupboard," Shoko said as she picked up one of the plates of pancakes. "Ooh, now _this_ is the best way to start a day when you've got to hurry," she said firmly as she rolled up one of the pancakes into a tube and took a bite. "Yummy!" she cooed. "I think I'll make you my wife!"

Haru laughed. "I'm sorry Miss Shoko, but I think I'd rather fill that position for a boy. If you want to hire me as a live-in cook and maid before then though, I've no particular objections."

"You've got a deal," Shoko said happily. "As soon as you can get transferred from your school in Kobe to one here in Tokyo, you're hired!" she declared, and danced off to the bathroom, still eating her pancake.

Misaki arrived in the kitchen not long after Shoko took the bathroom. "Oh Miss Haru! You didn't have to make breakfast! You're a guest here!" she exclaimed.

Haru laughed. "I know, but I'm also a very early riser," she said, "and it wouldn't do for us to be late to meet Hatoko-chan and Kotaro-san, would it?"

Misaki giggled. "No," she agreed. "It wouldn't."

"Pancakes!" Tamayo cried happily as she followed her nose into the kitchen just then.

"Help yourselves, then get dressed and you can come help me make the lunches," Haru instructed with a smile.

"Yes ma'am!" Tamayo agreed happily, and promptly sat down and started eating.

While Misaki and Tamayo got on with the important business of eating their breakfast, Haru, who'd already had hers while she was doing the cooking, packed up a bento for Shoko, as well as a thermos each of coffee and her special blend of tea. By the time she'd finished that to her satisfaction, Misaki and Tamayo had finished eating (and left a few pancakes behind), gotten quickly dressed, and returned.

"What can I do?" Tamayo asked eagerly.

Haru smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Do you know how to make omelettes?" she asked.

Tamayo shook her head a little sheepishly. "I don't know how to cook at all," she admitted, a slight blush tingeing her features. "But if you'll just tell me what to do, I'm sure I'll be able to do that much!"

"Alright," Haru agreed, served out the greens she'd just been cooking into one of the sections of each of the bentos, and then set the pan aside. "Come here, and I'll walk you through the process. Misaki, you'll be alright?"

"Hai!" the smaller girl chirped back happily. "I'll start with the fried chicken, and then make some steamed fish paste."

Haru nodded, and turned to Tamayo. "Okay, for an omelette, we need eggs," she instructed. "And when you're just learning, the best way to crack them is like this," she said, and picked one up in her right hand. Gently but firmly, she tapped it three times on the edge of the bowl, then moved the egg over the bowl and dug her thumbs into the weak spot she'd created in the shell, then pulled the two halves apart.

Yoke and white fell into the bowl, then Haru put the shell into the food-scraps bin and stepped aside. "Now you," she instructed with a smile.

Carefully, Tamayo copied what Haru had done, and grinned widely when she successfully cracked the egg without making a mess everywhere.

"I did it!" Tamayo exclaimed happily. "Look Miss Haru! Misaki-chi! I cracked the egg!"

Misaki laughed at her friend's enthusiasm, and Haru smiled a proud smile at the girl. "We'll turn you into a home-maker yet," she teased. "But you know, if Kotaro-san doesn't love you just the way you are, then you shouldn't change yourself just for him."

Tamayo shook her head, a blush all up her neck and face. "No no no!" she objected. "I want to learn to cook because it's something that's useful to know! Kotaro-chan... Kotaro-chan told me that he just wants me to stop practising wrestling moves on him, riding on the handles of his bike, going into his room without permission, and sharing his umbrella when it rains. He's... still kind of getting used to the idea that I'm actually a girl," Tamayo admitted softly, and just a little sadly. Then she smiled, just a tiny one, but it was a smile. "But he's getting it."

Haru wrapped her arms around Tamayo and gave her a comforting squeeze. "Well, have you got a cute bathing suit for today?" she asked.

Tamayo blushed, but nodded.

"Alright then," Haru said, and released the younger girl. "Let's get on with this omelette."

"Yeah!" Tamayo cheered.

"There," Haru declared as she set the last bit of food into the bento half an hour later. "That's everything."

"That's a _lot_ ," Misaki said, eyes wide and the bento that were all laid out on the bench.

"Are we gonna be able to eat all that?" Tamayo asked Haru, pointing to the _eight_ bentos on the bench. There had been nine, but Shoko had taken one when she left for work.

Haru nodded. "I have it on good authority that we'll be seeing other familiar faces when we get to the beach," Haru said with an air of cheerful superiority. That 'I have a secret, and you are going to be _so_ surprised!' tone that teased but didn't tell.

~oOo~

Haru carried the beach umbrella on the train, as well as her beach bag, where Baron was riding. Tamayo had the blanket and the beach ball. Misaki had the bentos, and Kotaro had been loaded down with the rest of the beach bags – Tamayo's, Misaki's, Hatoko's and his own.

When they got off the train, Haru led the four kids she was effectively supervising for the day to the part of the beach that she judged to be a little to the right of roughly the middle of the beach. She may or may not have conspired with Ohjiro as to picking picnic spots.

They weren't going to force a meeting between the champion and her daughter, but they were going to make it easy for the two groups to combine if (when) they crossed paths.

Haru escorted the girls to the changing rooms, and made sure that they had everything packed up in their beach bags again when they came out in their swimwear.

A pale blue one-piece with a heart on the front for Misaki, a pink-ish orange one-piece with a skirt and a picture of a pineapple on the front for Hakoto (and her hair tied up with a bow), and for Tamayo, the tomboy who was hoping to attract the romantic attentions of Kotaro, a cute blue-and-white striped one-piece that was designed to look like a short dress.

Haru's indigo swimsuit was the only two-piece in the lot, and what the swimwear failed to hide, the simple, sheer white caftan she had slipped on loosely over the top covered well enough that she was satisfied with her modesty.

Once Kotaro was changed as well and they'd picked a spot (which was wonderfully easy, with how empty the beach was compared to how full it could and did get earlier in the season), Haru waved off the kids to go and enjoy the water while she lay out the blanket and set up the umbrella.

"You too, Kotaro-chan!" Tamayo insisted with a smile, and grabbed his hand to drag him to the water.

Haru smiled to herself as both of their faces turned red too fast for it to be credited to sunburn. Besides, she had made sure they were _all_ wearing sunscreen.

"It's hot out there," Misaki said when she and the others came back in, and went straight for her bag. "What does everybody want to drink?"

"There's a place that sells shaved ice just a bit over that way," Haru said, gesturing towards the shops. "Why don't we have that instead?" she suggested.

"I remember," Hatoko said, nodding her head. "We passed it on our way here from the train station."

"I'll go," Kotaro offered. "It's not far."

"That's alright," Misaki said with a smile as she pulled her purse out of her bag. "I'll go."

"Five servings will be a lot to carry," Tamayo commented.

"Why don't you _all_ go?" Haru suggested with a fond chuckle. "That way you'll be able to eat yours as you come back. I'll stay with the bags," she offered. Haru lay back on the blanket and smiled as she settled back into the groove she'd made in the sand beneath the blanket already. Lying in the warm shade on the beach, and the promise of shaved ice in the near future.

"What flavour syrup do you want on your shaved ice Miss Haru?" Hatoko asked.

"Orange please," Haru answered with a smile. "And all of you put something on your feet. You wouldn't want to burn your toes on the hot sand."

"Hai," they agreed obediently, and hurried to put on their sandals.

Ten minutes, and three pages of the book she'd brought with her later, they returned with the shaved ice, as well as Sai, Kaede, and Ohjiro.

"What a coincidence," he said with a smile as he stood over her. "That we should all be visiting the same beach on the same day. My Lady," he teased, and offered a hand to help Haru to her feet.

"Good sir," Haru answered with a chuckle as she placed her bookmark and then accepted his assistance.

"I'm sorry to disturb your repose, but you have been invited to share barbecue with my brother and his colleagues over at where we've set up," Ohjiro explained once he'd pulled Haru up and as the younger kids packed up their beach bags and towels again. "Oh yes, and your shaved ice, milady," he added, drawing out the hand he'd hidden behind his back to present Haru with her orange-flavoured shaved ice.

"Thank you," Haru said as she accepted the treat. "But I can't eat it and pack up my things at the same time."

Ohjiro shook his head. "I'll do it," he offered, and lifted Baron from where he'd been resting beside Haru's bag, and set him on her shoulder.

"Is the champion going to be there?" Haru asked as she ate the shaved ice and watched the packing happen.

"Unfortunately, no," Ohjiro answered. "She came with us, but the heat got to her, so she's taken refuge in an air-conditioned restaurant that's got a nice view. She'll be able to see us, and my brother and his colleagues will take turns keeping her company, but she probably won't be rejoining us. Here you go," he said, and held Haru's packed beach bag out to her. "I'll carry the umbrella and the blanket."

"Thank you, Ohjiro-kun," Haru answered softly, and slipped Baron into the bag before she took it from him and pulled it onto her shoulder.

Then it was just a short walk over to where Ichiro and the others were set up, and the blanket got laid out again, and the umbrella unfurled once more.

Rather than lying down on a blanket on the sand again though, Haru took advantage of the presence of the fold-up beach-recliners that the adults had been able to bring because they'd come in a van, rather than by train.

"Comfy?" Ohjiro asked Haru fondly as he sat on the edge of the chair she'd claimed.

"Wonderfully so," Haru agreed, and stretched like a lazy cat to prove it before relaxing back into the chair again. "Yourself?"

Ohjiro chuckled. "Well, you stole my chair," he quipped. "But your presence has improved the view beyond words, so I'll call it even."

Haru laughed, as she was meant to, and Ohjiro smiled at his success.

"That tower wrapped up in the mint-green cloth is enough bentos for everybody to get a good share," Haru offered. "Or should be. I brought a thermos of ice tea too."

"Your special blend?" Ohjiro asked hopefully.

Haru nodded. "You'd better have cups."

"We do," he promised, and got up to fetch them directly.

"I really must get the recipe for your tea," Kaede said with a smile as she sat down on the sand directly, beside the chair Haru had claimed.

"I as well," Sai agreed.

"Sure," Haru answered happily. She was going to miss being able to talk with these girls as often as this, when she went back to Kobe, and they returned to their homes in Kanagawa.

~oOo~

"You... sure packed a large bento for only the five of you..." commented Hiromi when Misaki untied the knot tied in the cloth wrapped around the bento they'd brought.

"Miss Haru insisted," Misaki answered.

"Miss Haru did," Ichiro repeated solemnly.

"Hai," chirped the girl in question. "One for Hatoko-chan, one for Misaki-chan, one for me, two for the extremely energetic Tamayo-chan, and three for the growing boy," she explained innocently.

"What?!" Kotaro yelped. "I could never eat three of those all by myself!"

"And I may burn a lot of energy, but I wouldn't have needed more than one for my lunch either," Tamayo said, a slight frown on her face.

Haru giggled. "I know," she admitted. "I'm teasing."

"Haru and I shared our plans to both come to the beach today," Ohjiro admitted. "We... may have plotted a little."

"Ohjiro..." Ichiro growled.

Haru re-wrapped the last two bento in the tower and held the parcel out to Ichiro. "I know that Miss Shu is at a restaurant, taking advantage of the air-conditioning, but you're at the beach. Why don't the two of you go for a romantic stroll?" she suggested slyly. "Maybe have lunch together at a nearby park."

"The champion was feeling better when she got out of the sun, right?" Ohjiro pressed when Ichiro only blushed and looked hesitant. "You don't have to go for a long walk. Heck, you could stop by the shaved ice stall. She never did get the shaved ice she asked for."

"Alright," Ichiro agreed, and accepted the bento from Haru. "I'll send Ryuji and Yuko down. The barbecue is nearly ready anyway."

"Was the letter in there?" Ohjiro asked Haru softly as Ichiro headed up the beach.

"Of course it is," Haru answered with a smile.

"Huh? Letter?" Tamayo asked, having heard them.

"What's this about a letter?" Hiromi added, and arched an eyebrow at the two teenagers.

Haru and Ohjiro laughed.

"Caught," Ohjiro said lightly.

"Ohjiro-kun and I already admitted to having plotted a little to get our two groups to join up today," Haru reminded them. "But we _also_ plotted to give Ichiro-san a little bit of help," she explained, and bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I wrote a letter for the champion that essentially confesses on behalf of my brother, and gave it to Haru to add to the bento," Ohjiro said with a smile. That wasn't the only thing in the letter. He also apologised for the deception, confessed his own long-time crush on her, and stated his wish for her happiness.

"What?!" Ogata exclaimed. "The Chief's in love with Miss Shu?!"

Ohjiro and Haru nodded.

"I can't believe he had to be told that to get it," Yuko commented to her husband as they rejoined the group.

"I figured that out the first night I stayed at his house on Ohjiro-kun's invitation," Haru informed the poor man, a comforting smile on her face. "Ohjiro-kun confirmed it, and told me how long he's been completely failing to do anything about it. I also added a note to Ohjiro's letter saying who made which dishes in the bento."

"Who _did_ make which dishes?" Hatoko asked eagerly.

"I made the fruit salad and the fried vegetables, helped Tamayo-chan make the omelette and roll the onigiri, and Misaki-chan made the steamed fish paste and the fried chicken," Haru explained.

"No way. Tamayo actually _cooked_?" Kotaro asked, an incredulous smile on his face.

"Darn right I did!" Tamayo said proudly. "It tastes pretty good too."

"Well, the meat's ready now as well, so let's dig in!" Ogata declared happily, putting thoughts of his boss's romantic situation out of his mind.


	12. Chapter 12

Once the food was eaten, Haru pulled out the sunscreen.

"Again?" Kotaro asked unhappily when he saw the industrial-sized bottle Haru had brought.

"Well, if you _want_ to get sunburnt and be as red as a cooked lobster, then you don't have to," Haru allowed, and squirted out a handful into her palm. She started with her arms, having to push the sheer caftan out of the way so that she could. The fabric was in no way sun-proof, and if she failed to cover herself thoroughly, then she'd still burn through the sheer white garment.

"Mm, that smells nice," Sai said with a smile. "May we also?" she asked with a gesture to herself and Kaede.

"Sai, we brought our own," Kaede protested weakly. "Even if it doesn't smell as nice..."

"It's got honey and cocoa butter in it," Haru answered, and smiled back. "I actually use it as a moisturiser in summer normally, but when I'm going to the beach, it needs to be reapplied often so I don't burn, and by all means, help yourselves."

"Thank you," Sai said, and pumped out a handful. "Kaede, turn around."

Kaede sighed, but obediently turned, and let Sai start covering her back.

"You do have beautifully pale skin," Ohjiro complimented Haru. He hesitated a moment, glancing at Sai and Kaede before he turned back to Haru. "May I do your back?" he asked tentatively.

Haru blushed. "Let me do my legs first," she requested, and quickly moved on from her arms to her legs. Focused on smearing the cream on, Haru didn't see Ohjiro blushing as he watched her. Once that was done, Haru pulled off her caftan and rolled over onto her stomach.

Ohjiro squirted some of Haru's sunscreen into his hands, and then started to massage it into the bare skin before him.

"That feels nice," Haru purred happily, and smiled up at him over her shoulder.

"Do my back, would you Kotaro?" Hatako asked from just a little way over.

"What? Why do I have to do it?" Kotaro demanded.

"Someone's got to," Hatoko pointed out. "I can't reach all of my back myself. I'll do yours in return," she offered. "Unless you'd rather Tamayo do it?"

Kotaro groaned, but went and got a palm-full of sunscreen despite his reluctance.

Ryuji's phone rang then. "Yeah? Really?" he asked, and stood. He turned around, a hand raised to shade his eyes as he looked around. "Wow, okay, sure," he said, and hung up. He turned to look down at where Misaki was sitting, smoothing sunscreen onto her arms. "Miss Suzuhara, I think you may want to look in that direction," he said, and pointed.

"Huh?" Misaki asked, confused, but turned anyway.

Haru and Ohjiro guessed what it was, and looked over as well – though Haru had to sit up from where she'd been lying.

Slowly approaching them was Ichiro, pushing Shuko in her wheelchair across the sand towards them.

"O- Okaa-san?" Misaki said weakly, as though she couldn't believe her eyes. "Okaa-san!" she cried, thrilled to see her mother again. She ran out from beneath the shade of the umbrella and kicked up sand as she moved as fast as she could to reach Ichiro and Shuko. "It's you! It's really you!"

"Misaki," Shuko said softly as she leant forward as far as she could in her wheelchair to embrace her daughter.

Haru quickly smeared some more sunscreen across her stomach and chest, then stood up.

"Haru?" Ohjiro asked softly.

"They don't really need an audience," she said softly. "So get your shirt off, some sunscreen on, and then come join me in the water," she instructed with a smile, and then ran for the water. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" she called out.

"Wait for me!" Tamayo answered, catching on quickly and racing after the older girl.

Ohjiro laughed, quickly pulled his t-shirt over his head, and lathered on his own sunscreen as quickly as he efficiently could before he gave chase. When he caught up to Haru, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, happy laughter on his lips.

Haru let out an involuntary shriek of laughter at the surprise, since he had come up from behind, and continued laughing when Ohjiro spun her around.

Ohjiro lost his footing though when a wave crashed into them, so they both went under together. They came up together too. They looked at each other, both now sopping wet, and burst into laughter all over again.

Then salt water was splashed into their faces as Sai and Kaede joined them, and a full-on water-fight broke out.

~oOo~

"Alright everyone!" Ogata called as the sun began to set. "It's time for the fireworks display!"

"You're putting an awful lot of effort into this trip," Hiromi commented.

"Well that's because I only get to take one day for summer vacation this year!" Ogata explained, waving the bags of fireworks around as he danced in frustration. "And last year was just a terrible mess with -"

"We get it," Ichiro interrupted.

"Do you kids mind staying later?" Hiromi asked.

"Fireworks sounds like fun!" Tamayo answered enthusiastically.

Ryuji had already offered to give them a lift in the van when it was clear that Misaki and Shuko weren't about to let go of each other in a hurry, so there was no issue about missing the train.

"Still... we should call our parents and let them know we'll be back a bit late," Kotaro said, and started looking around for a pay-phone.

"Here," Ichiro offered, and pulled out his phone. "Use mine."

"Thank you Mister Icchan," Kotaro answered.

"What about you guys?" Tamayo asked Sai and Kaede.

"We're staying in a hotel while we're in Tokyo," Kaede answered. "So we don't need to call anyone."

"You must have to work so hard every day, Mister Ogata," Hatoko said, an admiring smile on her face.

Ogata nodded sadly.

"They sympathise with him," Ryuji commented to his wife.

"Hard to tell right now which one is the child," Yuko answered, amused.

Haru laughed softly as she finished pulling her sun-dress back on over the top of her swimsuit. It was starting to cool down, so the sheer caftan wasn't quite enough any more.

"Walk with me?" Ohjiro asked Haru quietly – he'd pulled his t-shirt back on as soon as he was out of the water and dried off again. "Just down to the point," he added, gesturing with one hand towards the intended destination, while he held out the other for Haru to take.

Haru smiled, nodded silently, and slipped her hand into his. Baron was left behind in her beach bag.

"It's been a good day," Haru said softly as they walked.

"Nice weather, the beach almost to ourselves, good friends, delicious food, reuniting Misaki-chan with Miss Shuko..." Ohjiro listed off in agreement, a content smile on his face.

"You confessing to Miss Shuko, for yourself and on behalf of Ichiro-san, Tamayo-chan finally getting a shy kiss from Kotaro-san," Haru added with a sly smirk. Then sighed happily and rested her head on Ohjiro's shoulder as she walked at his side. "And now a walk at sunset while Ogata-san sets up fireworks. It's like... a perfect day."

"I can -" Ohjiro started, then hesitated a moment before steeling himself and continuing. "I can think of one thing that would make this day even better," he said.

"Oh?" Haru asked, and lifted her head from his shoulder to look him in the face.

Ohjiro took a deep breath. "Haru, would you be my girlfriend?" he asked solemnly. "Officially?"

"What about your crush on Miss Shuko?" Haru asked seriously. "I heard what she said to you when she got back. I like you Ohjiro-kun, but I don't want to be a rebound..."

"It's not like that," Ohjiro promised. "For years, I just had a crush on Miss Shuko and never did anything about it. I never got properly rejected until today, so I couldn't properly get over it, but... even with that, I was still falling in love with you."

"Hence all the kisses to my cheek," Haru said as she smiled and relaxed again, and raised one hand to briefly touch her cheek where he'd been occasionally giving her kisses. She and Ohjiro were around about the same height, but she still had to rock up onto her toes, just a bit, to place a light kiss on his lips. "I'll be your girlfriend," she answered happily.

Ohjiro blushed, but smiled brightly. "Now it's a perfect day," he decided happily, and started walking again, continuing on to the point.

"Wow that's pretty," Haru said softly when they reached the part of the path where they could either continue on or walk out to the point.

Ohjiro hopped down from the path first and held out a hand to help Haru down.

Haru gave her new boyfriend a Look. "Young Nobleman, I was a tomboy before I was a Fair Maiden," she reminded him, and hopped down herself. "But thank you," she added once she was standing beside him again.

Arm in arm, the young couple walked out to the point and watched the sky and the sea change colours as the sun sank beneath the horizon.

" _Thus began the dualism of love – two souls rolling through space and never at rest until they join together to complete the universe. Everyone has to build anew his sky of hope and peace... Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things_ ," Haru quoted softly as she once again rested her head on Ohjiro's shoulder.

"I don't recognise where that's from," Ohjiro said, an expression of pleasant surprise on his face. "It is nice though, and fitting."

"It's from the book I brought with me to the beach," Haru answered with a smile. "So it was fresh in my mind, or I wouldn't have thought of it," she admitted.

"Well, I'm glad you did," Ohjiro decided. "And I may have to borrow that book from you. What was it called?"

"It's called _The Book of Tea_ ," Haru answered. "And _I_ borrowed it from our school library, so when I return it after summer vacation is over, you can borrow it then."

"I'm going to start my last year of high school soon," Ohjiro said softly. "My very last year, and then I'll be going away to university, probably here in Tokyo, rather than in Kobe."

Haru nodded in understanding. "But that's a year away," she said firmly. "And it isn't like Kobe and Tokyo are so far away from each other that we won't be able to see one another when you go."

Ohjiro nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "And if nothing else, we'll see each other at the Games."

Haru smiled. "Absolutely. Now come on, we should get back to the others."

Ogata's fireworks display was really quite good, and the ride back to Tokyo in the van, while a little crowded, was just as much fun as the rest of the day had been.

~oA/No~

 _The Book of Tea_ by Okakura Kakuzo is the book referenced by Haru here. It's a good book, and I recommend it to everybody who likes to think deep thoughts now and then. Especially if you like to think deep thoughts while you linger over a good cup of tea.


	13. Chapter 13

"The high mountains around the grassland will make a layer-out more difficult for Misaki and Hikaru to pull off," Haru said as Wizard descended to the layer. "And as dramatic as the breeze-effect is, it isn't really going to make any difference to anything but the way the clothes hang. So it's going to have to be a damaging fight."

"I don't understand how you can be quite so calm acting as my Second right now," Ohjiro commented with a chuckle. "You're fighting Miss Shuko and Athena next after all."

"I'm calm because I'm not thinking about anything but _this fight_ ," Haru answered firmly. "Misaki-chan has become a very tough opponent incredibly quickly, and on top of that she's on a high from being reunited with Miss Shuko."

"Right," Ohjiro agreed. "The cute little girl is dangerous, not just someone to be defeated on my way to the finals," he reminded himself.

"That's right," Haru said.

"Angelic fight!"

Hikaru led the attack, and she was fast, but that was expected. Wizard managed to fend off most attacks, either by dodging or blocking, but he did take a kick to the chin about half-way into the first round. It wasn't a terribly serious hit, but it was the first damage point taken in the fight.

Wizard leapt back to get a bit of distance.

Hikaru didn't follow immediately, but instead watched Wizard and shifted her stance. Another moment, and then she charged again. When she was close enough, she brought up her leg to kick Wizard in the head.

Magic Guard blocked her.

"You're using that very early," Haru stated.

"You said it," Ohjiro reminded her. "Misaki-chan is a tough opponent."

"I know I did," Haru answered. "But you seem to be forgetting _why_ that is. Give her enough shots at Magic Guard, and the little rookie will figure it out – and figure out a way to counter it."

Ohjiro winced slightly at the reminder. "Bad enough you did, and I'll bet Hatoko-chan got footage of that fight," he grumbled.

Haru chuckled. "Yes, well, you won't make the same mistake you made with _me_ in _that_ fight a second time, will you?" she asked pointedly.

"No, you're right," Ohjiro agreed. "You trained me out of that," he added with a chuckle.

"And I may yet regret that. Hikaru's getting up," Haru observed.

"Well, she landed on her shoulders rather than her head, so she wasn't going to be completely out," Ohjiro pointed out.

"She's taken some damage now though," Haru said, "and more than Wizard did from her kick."

"Hai," Ohjiro answered with a nod.

"Hikaru has started running circles around Wizard! What sort of tactic is this?" the host called out over the microphone.

"If Wizard were a person, and tried to follow that, you can bet he'd be getting dizzy," Haru commented. "Hikaru's a little red blur. That's some very impressive speed."

"But Wizard _isn't_ human," Ohjiro countered. "Misaki-chan is trying to make it impossible for me to see where Hikaru will attack from." He grit his teeth slightly in frustration. "It's working."

"Behind," Haru said, barely a second before Hikaru broke from the circling pattern, leapt at Wizard, and launched a fist at the blue-haired angel's back.

Wizard didn't so much as twitch though, and Hikaru was repelled by Magic Guard a second time.

"Not a word," Ohjiro requested. "It really was the only way I could effectively defend against that attack."

"Not a word," Haru agreed, shaking her head. "But don't just stand there and take more attacks from her like that if you can help it, okay?"

"Alright," Ohjiro agreed.

Once Hikaru was back up on her feet again, Wizard charged. It was his turn to bring the fight to his opponent. He kicked, he punched, he was fairly well blocked, but even blocking accrued minor damage points. Point one percent of a damage point for each successful block, to be specific, and not every block was completely successful.

Hikaru jumped over another kick, and back rather than straight up, which gave her enough distance to not be immediately attacked again. Hikaru took a few running steps from where she'd landed and launched another flying kick at Wizard's head.

Rather than use Magic Guard again, Wizard dodged. Since the kick was aimed at his head, and coming in at an angle, he ducked down and let Hikaru continue over him. When she hit the ground this time, he turned quickly and grabbed one of Hikaru's wrists – her arms had been back above and behind her head when she'd launched the kick – and swung her around, throwing her towards the mountains that surrounded the layer.

Wizard gave chase, but the end of round buzzer sounded just as he was about to strike Hikaru as she was pushing herself to her feet after the rough landing, so he halted, rather than strike.

"How am I doing?" Ohjiro asked.

"You, I have no idea. Wizard, on the other hand, is doing fine. If I know you, you'll want to use Magic Guard again in the next round though," Haru quipped.

Ohjiro nodded.

"Well, for kicks and punches I'll say okay, provided you use it sparingly, but if it looks like a grappling move or a full-body tackle, then don't do it. If Magic Guard has to repel a larger area, then Misaki-chan will _definitely_ see the dispersal of static electricity," Haru advised, "and then she'll be able to figure it out."

Ohjiro nodded in understanding. "Thank you," he said.

"Ohjiro," Haru called before he could raise the chair again to wait for the next round. "Really, I wasn't kidding when I said I have no idea how you're doing."

Ohjiro smiled back at her. "I'd really like to get to the finals," he said. "But if I lose to Misaki-chan, then that's alright too. I'd really like to face Athena in the finals, and I'd really like to face you as well. At the same time... I know that I can ask you, or Miss Shuko, or Misaki-chan for another game of Angelic Layer any time, so... I'm just having as much fun with this fight as I can."

Haru smiled, relieved. "Alright," she said. "Then I'll quit talking in your ear while you're fighting."

Ohjiro quickly climbed out of his chair, leant over the wall of the Second's station, and kissed Haru chastely on the lips. "But I like hearing your voice," he teased with a smile, and then climbed back into his chair.

"You do know that all your loyal fans and groupies saw that," Haru quipped into the headset as he got into position to begin the next round.

"Hai," he agreed happily as the fight began.

Hikaru charged, and rather than hitting Magic Guard and bouncing back, Wizard ducked low and struck Hikaru.

A battle of ingenuity and martial skill ensued, and Magic Guard didn't make another appearance until Hikaru took position to use the move she'd copied from Suzuka – Rolling Thunder. That attack hit Magic Guard, and Hikaru bounced back as far as the foot of the mountains in front of Misaki. A flight which allowed Misaki plenty of time to recover Hikaru's balance while in the air, and land on her feet. She skidded a bit though.

"Just when we thought we wouldn't see it again! Magic Guard!" the host called out, and then the buzzer sounded to end the second round.

"Did you forget it was there?" Ohjiro asked Misaki with a smile before bringing his chair back to where Haru was waiting, and running diagnostics on Wizard already.

"I did," Misaki admitted softly to herself before she went to Hatoko.

"You _are_ having fun," Haru quipped happily.

"I am," Ohjiro agreed with a smile. "All of Japan now knows I'm in a relationship with you, and Misaki-chan is fighting well. I'm not going to _let_ her win, but she's fighting so well that she just might anyway... and I couldn't care less, however much I'd also like to win as well."

"Living in the moment then," Haru observed.

" _Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things_ ," Ohjiro said with a smile. "Right?"

Haru laughed. "Right," she agreed.

"Ichiro?" Ohjiro said out of nowhere. "Did you hack this comm line?"

Haru smiled and went about checking on Wizard silently while Ohjiro chatted with his brother.

"Round three!"

"Ready to go?" Haru asked as she passed Wizard back to Ohjiro.

"Yeah," Ohjiro answered. "Talk to you later Bro," he said into his headset as he returned his chair, and Wizard, to the places they needed to be.

"Angelic fight!"

~oOo~

"Well, I lost," Ohjiro said with a smile as he climbed out of the chair after the fight.

"Of course you did," Haru said with a smirk as she repaired Wizard. "You punched when you should have kicked. Legs have longer range and more power than arms, and damage to a chest is much more vital than damage to a jaw."

Ohjiro sighed. "And Hikaru kicked Wizard in the chest while Wizard punched her in the cheek," he finished.

Haru nodded. "You really should know better than to punch a girl in the face," she stated. "They don't like that."

Ohjiro laughed. "Wizard and I will both apologise to Hikaru as soon as she's been repaired," he promised.

"Good," Haru said with a nod of solemn approval before she also started giggling.

"It's a bit of a double-standard though," Ohjiro complained, a hint of a smirk on his face, which let Haru know he was poking fun. "Boys are allowed to be hit in the face, but girls aren't? I don't think I like that very much."

Haru laughed. "But when you come home covered in bruises, you want them kissed better, don't you?" she teased in return.

Ohjiro pretended to think about that. "I suppose so," he allowed. "But right now, I think my pride is stinging. Will you kiss _that_ better?" he requested.

Haru shook her head and kissed the tip of Ohjiro's nose. "Better?" she asked.

Ohjiro didn't get to answer, since Misaki came up to them then.

"Mr Ohjiro! Miss Haru!" Misaki called. "Thank you very much!"

"For what, Misaki-chan?" Haru asked, surprised.

"I'm so glad that I could fight against Wizard," Misaki explained. "It was fun! Really, really fun! I didn't figure out how Magic Guard works, but you still fought with all of your heart, right from the very beginning."

The two teenagers smiled down at the twelve-year-old.

"So did you, so, thank you, Misaki-chan. Wizard and I had a lot of fun fighting you and Hikaru as well," Ohjiro answered. "Oh, and... we're sorry for hitting Hikaru in the face so much. I have been sternly informed that girls don't like that," he added with a glace at Haru.

Misaki looked between the two teens, and then breaking out in giggles. "I suppose Wizard didn't enjoy it much either," she offered.

"I've already kissed their prides better," Haru said.

"Miss Haru?" Misaki queried. "Ano... Good luck in your match."

"Thank you, Misaki-chan," Haru answered softly. "I'm fighting Athena and your mother, so I'll need all the luck I can get, ne? They're the champions, after all."

Misaki smiled brightly. "Right," she agreed happily.


	14. Chapter 14

"Are you ready for this?" Ohjiro asked Haru as he double-checked everything in his station in the west corner.

Haru smiled back. "Baron is," she answered simply. "And if he's ready, then I've got to be as well. Are you ready?"

Ohjiro nodded. "I think you're crazy, just by the way," he told her lightly. "But everything is set up the way you asked."

"Arigato, Ohjiro-kun," Haru said, a smile on her face.

The setting for the layer was the ruins of Angkor Wat, a large stone temple surrounded by jungle, a real place that had been built some time in the twelfth century, recreated in miniature for the angels to do battle on.

"Enter the angels!"

Shuko went first.

"Open up the future, Athena's wings!" she called as she threw the iconic white angel into the layer, and Athena's wings spread from beneath her blonde hair as she began to fall. "The angel descends!" And she landed lightly on the ground, in the middle of the path that led to the central temple, then folded her wings once more.

"The time is now, Baron!" Haru proclaimed, and launched him from the back of her hand into the layer. Dressed in black, with his navy cloak over his shoulders, he was a stark contrast to his opponent.

"And now, angelic fight!"

Haru waited. She'd studied Athena's battles more than any other angel's in the two years since she had brought the Baron home with her as just another faceless blue doll in an egg. Athena alternated between a particular, choreographed dance, and incredible attacks. Both were devastating to her opponents.

The first strains of the music she'd asked Ohjiro to play through her headset came at the same time as Athena raced forward and began to attack.

The first attack was a punch immediately followed by a close in, spinning, high-knee kick.

Baron caught the fist with an open palm and pushed it up as Athena spun to kick him, so it looked like he was leading her through a spin, dancing with her, rather than avoiding her attacks.

Two quick jabs followed, one to his left and then one to his right.

Baron elegantly wove between the fists, and when one of those pointed shin-guards Athena wore came up with a knee-jab, he was ready for the moment that leg extended. He twisted just enough to avoid the kick, slipped one arm around Athena's waist and caught one of her hands in his, and dipped her. Of course, a dip early in the dance requires that the partner be set back on their feet, and Athena was. The next step was a grape-vine as Athena attempted to punch him again, but their feet moved in time with each other, and Baron wove between her fists with perfect timing and a smile on his face.

The second attempt to knee him in the face was countered with a subtle movement by Baron that swept Athena's supporting foot out from underneath her, but rather than letting her face-plant in the dirt, Baron caught her around the stomach with one arm, the other stretched out behind him, his legs braced for the dip he forced his opponent to perform, and his tail curling up past the cape to almost touch the raised hand.

"You've gotten better at this dancing with a partner thing since trying with Miss Seto and Ranga," Ohjiro commented over the comm units, his voice gentle and amused over the music that continued to play, as per Haru's request.

"I've had a lot more time to study how Athena moves," Haru answered absently, hyper-focused on the layer.

Athena was still held in Baron's dip, the movement having surprised Miss Shuko as much as it had the announcer – who was currently exclaiming over the way Baron seemed to be (was) dancing with his opponent.

Then Baron brought his raised hand down, and lifted the arm that was supporting Athena's weight completely, and between the two Athena was forced to flip over like a lever, but Baron didn't stop until he'd swung her like a pendulum and set her back on her feet once more, and spun her out. One hand barely held the tips of Athena's fingers, but that was enough to halt the spin.

"Incredible! Baron has successfully avoided all hits from Athena, and despite a moment where he had the advantage, it seems he is _dancing_ with her rather than attacking! What _could_ Haru Yoshioka be thinking?"

Athena took advantage of the fact that Baron was still holding her hand, however lightly, and pulled him in while she pulled back a fist to punch him.

Baron released his hold on the hand he had been holding, and caught the fist that had been aimed at his face. He used that hand to spin Athena again, keeping her close this time as he twirled her once, twice, three times before letting go completely.

Athena jumped back, landing on top of one of the little statues, and stopped there, poised and posed, arms cradling each other as she looked down at the Baron.

"Beautiful," the announcer said softly. "Oh, sorry folks, Athena is just so wonderfully able to render a spectator to her fights completely speechless."

"Five, six, seven, eight," Haru counted softly to herself, and nodded when Athena jumped up on 'eight'.

For a moment she hung in the air, but then sped down with the heel of one boot most prominently extended, and in the direction of Baron's face.

But Baron avoided it, however narrowly, by stepping back just a little bit, and performing a scorpion pirouette at an impressive speed. So impressive that his tail hit Athena hard enough to cause a small amount of damage when it hit her as he turned.

"Was that on purpose?" Ohjiro asked at the same time as the host exclaimed over Athena's explosive kick, Baron's miraculous dodge, and his landing not only the first blow of the fight, but landing it on _Athena_.

Haru didn't answer. Baron had to cartwheel over the broken stone that had been scattered by the impact of Athena's missed strike. Okay, he could have just jumped out, but this way was so much cooler. Especially when he didn't even touch the ground with his hands, and wasn't upside-down long enough for his cloak to catch on to gravity.

As a bonus, Athena had to step back or risk having her helmet clipped by the Baron's feet as he did it.

Then the end of round buzzer sounded, and Haru started breathing heavily, as though she'd been holding her breath for the entire round, and just finally remembered the necessity of air in her lungs.

"Haru?" Ohjiro called, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Haru answered. "How did the match look from there?"

"Like your practice routine, and Athena's practice routine, somehow meshed together to make one beautiful, deadly dance," Ohjiro answered, honestly, and honestly shocked. "It was impressive."

Haru sighed. "Good," she said. "That's good."

"Haru, what are you trying to do out there?" Ohjiro asked. "You're not just fighting Athena, even though the layer has your whole attention."

"Why do you think the dolls were called 'angels', Ohjiro-kun?" Haru countered as she sagged back in her chair. "When you hear a _person_ called an 'angel', you instantly take it to mean that they're kind, gentle, compassionate. So... why would _these_ angels only want to fight?" Haru questioned. "I want people to see that... these beautiful dolls can do more than just fight. Your brother made them as the first stage in the creation of advanced prosthetics, but they've become so much more since then. Couldn't they continue to become more? Couldn't Angelic Layer become more than just a fighting game?"

"Haru..." Ohjiro said softly, his eyes shining with unshed tears at the emotion in her voice. "Yes," he said. "They can, and I'll help make it happen," he promised.

Haru turned to look at him at last, and smiled down at him from her chair.

"It's time for round two to begin!"

"Thank you," Haru said softly, and turned back to the layer.

~oOo~

Athena started the second round by running.

Baron smiled, and right on the down-beat of the music that Ohjiro had put on for Haru to listen to for round two, gave chase.

Athena was fast. She flitted from statue to fallen stone to the wall of the ruin with her feet only touching on any surface just long enough for her to push off again.

Baron was not so fast, but rather than flitting quickly like Athena, he leapt, jumped, flipped, and finally pounced. With a hand on each of Athena's great shoulder guards, Baron vaulted over her, flipped in the air, and landed in front of her. He then smiled, twiddled his fingers in a wave, and took off again.

It was _his_ turn to lead the game of tag, and he led Athena across the wall of the ruins and into the forest beyond.

She caught up to him quickly, but it was Baron who tagged Athena again, rather than the other way around.

He leapt onto a tree branch, landing on his hands rather than his feet, and appeared set to simply flip off it and continue, but no. He held on and swung beneath the branch as Athena jumped, and he swung up again as she landed on the branch he still held tightly to. His feet connected with her back, and sent the white angel crashing into the next tree in surprise as he came to a halt, crouching on the branch now as he waited for the dust to clear and Athena to be visible once more.

He launched himself backwards off the branch suddenly.

But then, Athena had somehow gotten above him with the dust cloud to hide her, and had just attempted to crash both of her feet through his head.

He wouldn't have known, having been focused on the dust cloud below, but Haru had been watching a greater area than just that.

"Unbelievable! After that incredible chase, Baron landed a second, much more solid hit on Athena!" the host exclaimed. "And not only that, but he managed to avoid being hit himself!"

Baron somersaulted in the air and landed on his feet, ready to either take up their game of tag once more or fight.

The buzzer sounded before Athena could decide which of those actions to take, however.

"And that signals the end of round number two!"

The Deus chairs both lowered to beside the stations where the Seconds were, and Haru was smiling.

"If you plan to win this on just points..." Ohjiro started hesitantly.

Haru shook her head. "No," she answered, a smile on her face. "Tell me, Ohjiro-kun, would you compare Athena to a bird?"

Ohjiro blinked. "I... suppose I might," he allowed. "With the wings, the slightly beak-like helmet, and the skirt of her costume could be likened to a bird's fanned out tail."

Haru nodded. "And the Baron is certainly a cat, isn't he?" she continued.

Ohjiro chuckled. "Yes," he agreed easily. "Most other angels with cat features just have an extra set of cat ears sticking out of their hair, and tail protruding from their clothes, but you actually gave the Baron a completely cat-like head. Fur, a muzzle, whiskers, the lot."

"And what do cats do when they're hunting birds?" Haru asked with a sly smile.

Ohjiro's mouth fell open wordlessly.

"First, the cat will stalk the bird, and when he catches her, he plays with her. When he's done playing though..." Haru trailed off. "Okay, so Baron played first and chased second, but that was because the bird attacked before it decided to run."

"So... the next round..." Ohjiro said softly.

Haru nodded silently.

~oOo~

Baron closed for close combat. Actual combat, not the dancing about that he'd done before, though there was always a hint of the dancer's grace in his movements. He punched and kicked and spun and dodged and ducked and jumped and pressed forward.

And so did Athena.

There was no give. If Athena attempted to move back, to have space to begin a more damaging attack, then Baron followed after and lashed out when he reached her. Neither one of them hit every time, but neither one of them successfully blocked every strike either. Still, when Athena kicked Baron away from herself and jumped into the air, spreading her wings, Baron didn't just stand there.

As the green orb formed between Athena's hands – and Haru still wasn't sure how Shuko did that, except that she must will it to happen, and so it did – Baron bent his knees. When Athena raised the orb over her head, Baron tensed. When she brought it down and released it, Baron jumped.

The angel and the attack passed each other with barely millimetres and seconds to spare as Baron went straight up, and the attack went down and crashed into the spot where, moments ago, he had been.

A large pair of pearl-grey coloured wings snapped out from beneath the Baron's cloak and held him aloft as the attack exploded across the landscape beneath him.

"Wings?" Haru heard Ohjiro ask over the comm unit, despite the announcer going wild about the action on the layer. "I thought Baron was a _cat_ , not a _bird_."

"He's still an angel," Haru answered. "All angels have wings. His just happen to match his tail-coat. Shame he's dressed in black right now. I'm sure the wings would look good with his suit, not that they don't look good now..."

Baron flapped his wings once, twice, and dived at Athena, performing a barrel roll as he pulled his wings in and nose-dived.

Athena recovered from the latest surprise fast enough to fly out of the way in time to not be hit by the Baron's attack, and he quickly spread his wings so that he could pull up before face-planting into the layer.

Before either angel could make another attempt at attacking, the end of round buzzer sounded for the third, and final time. The battle was over.

Baron did a loop around the layer before shooting towards Haru in her chair, folding his wings away completely just before he left the layer. The momentum of that flight carried Baron out and across the space into Haru's waiting hands.

"A truly beautiful exit from the layer by Baron. Now, let's have a look at some of the highlights from that fight again while we wait for the scores!" suggested the host happily, even as Athena landed on the layer and it started to rain around her, creating a rainbow over the layer.

"What was that you said about the cat and the bird before?" Ohjiro asked as Haru's chair lowered.

"Okay, so some predatory birds have been known to carry off young kittens," Haru allowed as she took off the headset and climbed out of the chair. "But if we'd had a bit more time... well, a points win might still be ours," she said with a shrug, a smile on her face. "Win or lose, it was fun," she decided, then sighed as she set Baron on her shoulder. "If only it could have lasted longer."

"Agreed," Ohjiro said with a smile and a chuckle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the points have been tallied, and we have a result! With a fight as amazing as we just got to witness, it should surprise nobody that there was ultimately only point one percent of a point between them! But the winner is..." he paused for dramatic affect. " _Athena_!" he yelled.

"Only point one of a percent in it," Ohjiro breathed in awe.

Haru smiled. "I may have lost officially, but that result still feels like a win to me," she said happily.

Ohjiro smiled and nodded as well.

"It would have been your _actual_ win if I'd reacted a half-second slower," Shuko said as she rolled up to them in her wheelchair, Athena perched on her knee.

"Ah, but this result means that Misaki-chan and Miss Shuko will get to play Angelic Layer together in the finals," Haru said happily.

Shuko chuckled. "It does," she agreed. "Still, I look forward to a rematch," she said, and offered her hand to shake.

Haru took it, and shook it happily. "Agreed, but let's not wait until the next official games for that rematch, okay?"

Shuko nodded, a smile on her face. "It's a deal," she agreed.

~oOo~

Haru sat with Ohjiro, Sai, Kaede, and Ringo – just behind Tamayo and Kotaro – in the stadium to watch the Final. Baron sat on her shoulder as usual, dressed once more in his cream-coloured tailcoat, with his top hat perched between his ears.

The final battle of the Angelic Layer National Games was... very emotionally charged. Not just for Misaki and Shuko, but for everybody else in the stadium who was watching as well. Probably even the people who were watching the battle on TV picked up on it.

Desperation choked every heart and thrust it up into every throat when Hikaru was hit by Athena's technique Astral Emissions – the same technique that Baron had been the first in Angelic Layer history to ever successfully dodge – and Misaki started begging Hikaru to stand up.

The whole stadium joined her in begging Hikaru to stand up, a chant of "Hi-Ka-Ru!" echoed all around. Everybody wanted to see her do what no angel had ever done before.

Haru felt like crying for joy when Hikaru actually did, finally, stand up. She was the first angel to ever be hit by that attack and stand up again after.

"She stood up!" rippled around the stadium in awed whispers, and echoed out over the host's microphone.

"Look, Ohjiro-kun," Haru said softly, tears gathering in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Hikaru is alive," she said, and laughed a little at the revelation.

"Yes," Ohjiro agreed, his voice just as soft as he wrapped Haru up in a hug. "She is. I'll bet my big brother is so proud of her. He always is when he sees an angel exceed expectations."

Hikaru exceeded even more expectations when she turned Athena's attack back on her and sent the famous white angel into the layer with an explosion.

"... _Hikaru wins_!" the host declared, awed.

~oOo~

When Haru returned to her home in Kobe, there was a cat waiting for her by the gate.

"Miss Haru," the cat said, and stood up on his back paws to bow.

"Uh... Prince Lune, right?" Haru asked, recognising him as the cat she'd saved a while back. The cat who's paw in marriage had been offered to her by his father.

"Indeed," the cat answered. "I owe you thanks. Not only did you save my life, but you refused the offer of being my wife."

Haru raised an eyebrow at that. "In love with another cat?" she guessed.

Lune smiled. "I was fetching an engagement gift for her when you saved my life," he admitted happily. "My father didn't know about her."

"Well, best wishes for kittens then," Haru offered.

Lune chuckled. "Thank you," he said. "But I really must repay you for your deeds somehow. I know my father left a golden fish pendant for you after you turned down the initial list of gifts, but..."

Haru held up a hand to stop him. "Prince Lune, I didn't save your life to be thanked. Just live a long, happy life, have lots of kittens, and teach your subjects to cross with the lights from now on," she said plainly.

Lune smiled back, shoulders dropping. "Very well," he agreed. "Again Miss Haru, thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Haru answered.

Lune bowed once more, and left.

Haru watched him go for a moment, and then headed up the path to her front door.

"I'm home!" Haru called.

"Welcome back sweetheart!" Naoko answered happily, stepping out into the entryway from the lounge, and wrapped her baby girl up in a hug. "Welcome home."

Haru squeezed her mother back happily. "I'm home," she repeated softly. "Love you Mama."

"I love you too, Haru," Naoko answered. After a moment, they released each other, and Naoko sent Haru up to her room to unpack and sort out what laundry she had that needed to be done.

She only just finished hanging the laundry on the line out the back when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Naoko said, and waved for Haru to put the laundry basket away.

Haru nodded.

"Oh my!" Naoko exclaimed when she opened the door.

"Hello," said the young man standing there. "Are you -" he checked the name-plate by the door. "Naoko Yoshioka?" he asked.

"I am," Naoko answered. "You're Ohjiro Mihara."

The young man smiled. "Indeed I am," he agreed.

"Haru!" Naoko called. "Get out here!"

"What is it Mama?" Haru asked, and then she spotted Ohjiro. "Ohjiro-kun!" she greeted with a smile.

He brought out a bouquet of red roses from behind his back. "May I come in?"

Haru smiled, accepted the flowers, and nodded, a slight blush on her face. It seemed to be time to introduce her mother to her boyfriend.

~The End~


End file.
